Love Bites
by Kathryne Buzolic
Summary: "One day, you're going to love someone, Kol, and it's going to hurt. Like you said, love bites." Nik said with finality, then walked out of the room. Kol snorted, which quickly turned to laughter. "I don't love anyone! I never will!" he shouted, once he reigned in the laughter. "Love makes us fools!" Kol/OC
1. Meeting

**AN: So, I got this idea last night in the shower. I know I have other things to update, but this idea is fresh, and I really want to know what you guys think!**

* * *

**_Three Months Before._**

Kol stood chuckling as he watched his brother go through a fit of rage, tearing apart a beautiful drawing of Caroline.

"Love bites, doesn't it, brother?" he asked mockingly, going over to Klaus and picking up an apple, turning it in his hands. Klaus snarled and turned on him, getting a hand around his throat. Kol moved swiftly, snapping his brother's wrist and kicking him in the gut.

"That was rude." he said, grabbing his apple again. "Caroline break you already? Love makes you stupid. You should know that by now." he said, cheerfully taking a bite out of his apple and grinning. Klaus growled and smacked the apple out of his hand.

"One day, you're going to love someone, Kol, and it's going to hurt. Like you said, love bites." Nik said with finality, then walked out of the room. Kol snorted, which quickly turned to laughter.

"I don't love anyone! I never will!" he shouted, once he reigned in the laughter. "Love makes us fools!"

**_Present Day. Week One. _**

Alexandria James looked up at the sun, bored. She stared at the ball of fire until her eyes started to burn. Caroline Forbes, sitting next to her on the grass, sighed. Again. The fifth time in the past two minutes. It was starting to annoy Alexandria.

"Just talk to Tyler. Explain it. I mean, it's a beautiful picture. It would have been rude to throw it away." she said finally, a little irritation creeping into her voice. Caroline sighed yet again.

"He won't believe me. Will you talk to him?" she asked, turning to her friend, whose sharp green eyes looked more than annoyed.

"Your boyfriend. Talk to him yourself." she snapped, then instantly felt bad. It wasn't Caroline's fault that Damon Salvatore was a jackass at best. Caroline nodded awkwardly, and Alexandria sighed.

"Care, I'm sorry. I'll talk to him. I didn't mean to snap." she said quietly.

"It's fine, Alex." Caroline replied, then groaned. Alex looked up and saw Klaus walking toward them with one of his brothers in tow. Good cheek bones, a devilish smirk, dark brown eyes and hair, and a very nice body.

_Must be the infamous Kol Mikaelson_. she thought to herself, studying him. His walk showed he was confident, and from the way he held his head high, he wasn't afraid to show how good he looked. Alexandria's eyes met his, and she was immediately unsettled by the depth of his gaze. She tugged on her braid nervously and looked away.

She got up to meet them, dragging her companion up too.

"Alexandria." Klaus greeted her warmly. "Caroline." he purred.

Alex nodded, and Caroline rolled her eyes.

"Alex, dear, have you met my brother Kol?" he asked her, tilting his head to the side while she continued to tug on her braid, a nervous habit. She shook her head.

"I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting the Mikaelson that beat Damon with a bat." she said brightly, causing Klaus to press his lips together to keep from grinning. Caroline snickered, and Kol simply smiled.

"Well, I'm Kol." he said, coming forward to grab her hand and press his lips to her knuckles, his eyes locked on hers the whole time. His touch was like an electric shock, sending tingles down her spine.

"Alexandria James." she said, a slight smile on her face. He raised an eyebrow as he stepped back.

"Are you by any chance from Wales?" he asked, interest on his face. She nodded, surprised. Most people assumed she was from somewhere in London.

"Right on the dot." she said, a little impressed. Even Caroline didn't know that. The girl beside her rolled her eyes.

"Your near flirting is making me sick." she explained. Alex made a strangled noise.

"Yeah. I'm gonna flirt with the guy who threw Elena at a table." she said in a sardonic tone.

_Well, I might have flirted a little bit...If it were just us two... _she thought. As if reading her mind, Klaus pulled Caroline to the side, leaving her with Kol.

"You were definitely going to flirt." he told her, all seriousness. "I mean, have you _seen_ me?"

She snorted and fought the urge to hit him in the stomach.

"Yes, I have. But that's not the point. The point is, while I admire you for beating the living chiz out of Damon, you threw my friend into a table. And you tricked her brother into thinking you were his friend." she said, tilting her head to the side and smiling crookedly, as if she had told him a joke.

* * *

Kol watched the beautiful girl as she clearly shot him down. Her black hair was coming out of its long braid, which she kept tugging. Green eyes pierced into his mockingly. She was strangely gorgeous for a human.

"Tell me, what brought you to Mystic Falls? Family?" he asked before he could stop himself, intrigued by this girl. She arched a brow and looked at him.

"Sort of. I mean, a little. I've lived here all my life, because my mom dumped me here." she said without a trace of emotion. At that moment, Caroline came back.

"Come on, Alex. We're leaving." she hissed, stalking off. Grabbing her bag, Alexandria followed her.

Kol sighed and watched as she walked away from him. Something about this girl was different. A good different.

Alexandria James. Beautiful name for a beautiful girl. He was going to get to know her. He felt as if he had to.

_Alexandria James. I'll have you falling for me yet. Just wait and see. _he promised himself.

* * *

**AN: So...How was it? I want you to be honest. And please don't just say "Loved it!" I want your honest opinion. Should I continue this? If I do, the next chapter will do some more explaining about where Alexandria comes from.**


	2. Games

_And even if you want me to stay here  
I'm telling you right now  
I should leave  
Before I get to changing my mind, dear  
I hope you understand what I mean_

-Gavin DeGraw, Nice to Meet You Anyway

* * *

***Week One. Day One.**

Alex got into Caroline's car, thinking of Kol. He was cute for sure, and charming enough. He had seemed genuinely curious about her living in Mystic Falls. Of course, he had probably seemed to be genuinely interested in being Jeremy's friend, too. He was an Original. Seeming genuine and charming was all a part of the act.

"What did Klaus want?" she asked, trying to shake her thoughts, to clear them of brown eyes with hidden depths.

Caroline made a sniffing sound.

"He was trying to ask me out. To get me to convince you to double with him and Kol." Alex froze and looked over at Caroline with disbelief. She nodded and held out a hand, as if to say, _Thank you!_

_"_What did you say?"

"I told him that we had plans for the next three centuries." Alexandria laughed and looked out the window. She had been born in Wales and stayed there until she was six. Then her mother couldn't handle her anymore and sent her to an adoption agency in Virginia, which got her landed with the Lockwoods. Later in life, Alex had learned she was a witch with no active powers yet. Bonnie had told her that it probably meant she was really powerful. Sometimes, she felt whatever someone else was feeling briefly. Sighing, she tugged on her braid, thinking about everything and nothing at the same time. In her head, she made a list of things to do. Clean her room, finish her sketch of the Falls, maybe do some shopping...

"Would you even do it?" Caroline asked suddenly. The other girl was taken aback by the question, as they had sat in silence for several minutes.

"Do what?" she asked her friend, confusion written on her face as plainly as a sign for a shoe sale.

"Double." The blond said it like it was obvious. Alexandria thought about it for a few minutes.

"I don't know. I mean, whereas dating is a way to get to know someone, I still only met Kol today. Isn't doubling for people who are all familiar with each other? Besides, I'm not even sure I would like him at all. He's...An Original. One who has a freaky love for baseball bats. That's kinda weird.." she giggled.

Caroline laughed. "True, true. So, anyway, lately I've been craving cake. I can't decide what kind, though. Help?"

The witch thought about it. "Carrot cake with Hershey's chocolate frosting." the vampire gagged.

"Ew! Just...Ew!" she yelled, sticking her tongue out.

"What? It's my favorite! It's actually really yummy." Alex defended herself, giggling. She looked out the window again, watching two tall, pretty, curvy blondes walk down the street together, laughing at some kid who fell off of his skateboard. She gasped, grabbing her left knee as if felt like she had scraped it on the curb. Looking back at the boy, she noted _his_ left knee was bleeding, the denim torn. She suddenly felt an extreme resentment for the two girls, and she hoped karma caught up to them.

Caroline pulled up to the Lockwood house and smiled. "Home sweet home. See you tomorrow?"

Alex nodded in confirmation and got out. Later she would go to bed, her dreams haunted by dark alleys, screaming, and fangs. She had no idea what she would learn in the morning. Or did she?

* * *

Kol shook his head, bothered. In all of the years he had roamed the world, he had never met a girl like Alexandria. Alex, he had heard Caroline call her. Something was interesting about her, something so _different_ from anything he had ever seen. She was going to be fun to play with. Kol liked his "toys" to be unique, otherwise the games got boring. That's what it was all about for Kol. The games. The slight torture of others. Mesing with their mind and emotions. It was great fun to watch the helpless mortal girls fall in love with him. In the end, he didn't care about any of them. Once he got what he wanted, he lost interest. It was only fun when he was playing with them. When they started to care about him, he left.

Kol wasn't one for commitment of any kind. Of course, in the end, he chose his family above all. All the women he slept with, all the girls he fooled, were merely trivial. It was about time he had another plaything. He hadn't had one in a while. Alexandria, he could tell, was determined to feel nothing for him. He would have a fun and amusing time watching that firm resolve crumble. He had left Nik at the park, following two blondes with delicious curves. He had always preferred the blondes. He finally approached them in the dark alley, smiling charmingly.

Sometimes he just didn't have patience for the games.

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**AN: First, let me just say I was completely amazed by how much love this got! Twelve reviews! For me, that's a lot, especially on the _first chapter! _I feel loved! Secondly, I hope the second chapter was satisfactory. I know it was kind of short, but...Yeah... *****You'll notice that in every chapter it'll say something like that. Week Whatever and Day Whatever. It's sort of a count down. You'll understand.****So, I have no idea when I'll have the next chapter up. I'm already writing it, you know, bits and pieces.**

**Oh! Right. When you get the chance, check out the fic The Weight of Reality by musiclover8912. It's really good. A Kol and Elena story-yay!- and it's so good! Way better than anything I could ever write! **

**Reviews make me write faster, by the way. ;)**


	3. Dare

_Lost and insecure,_

_You found me, you found me,_

_Lyin' on the floor_

_Surrounded, surrounded_

_Where were you, where were you?_

_Just a little late._

-The Fray, You Found Me

* * *

**Week One. Day Two.**

Alex shot up, her hands going to her throat and feeling for bite marks. There were none. Obviously. She looked around groggily. She was in her room, no doubt about that. The girl shook her head to clear it and got up, tripping slightly on the aqua green carpet. Doing one more sweep around the room, she realized everything was scattered. Her Grimoire sat open on her desk, surorunded by peacock feather pens and blue Sharpies, the only things she would write with. She still felt dead tired, as if she hadn't gotten the smallest bit of sleep. Checking the clock, she realized it was eight in the morning. Perfect time to get up, as she liked to watch the news while she ate breakfast. The witch dressed quickly, in dark jeans and a blue top, then pulled her hair up and looked around once more. The smell of bacon had reached her room, so she abandoned her attempts of looking normal and bounced to the kitchen.

"My belly is empty, and I want pudding." she announced once in the kitchen, throwing the fridge door open and grabbing a chocolate pudding cup.

"Hey, Alex. How'd you sleep?" Tyler asked, munching on bacon, three strips at a time. Alex made a face at him and took a spoon from the dishwasher.

"Fine." she replied simply, watching the news lady as she reported the bodies of two young girls found behind the Grill, completely drained of blood. She froze. _Drained of blood? _

"Not again!" she groaned, turning the TV up. Tyler stopped stuffing his face with greasy burnt pig and started to pay attention. Their mom, Carol, came into the kitchen for coffee and sighed.

"Alex, can you call Liz and tell her I'm already working on covering it up? Tyler, don't forget to call Damon about...Next week's arrangements, okay?" Without waiting for an answer, she got her coffee and went out the door.

The girl turned on her adoptive brother.

"What are next week's arrangements?" she demanded.

"My lips are sealed." he replied, eating more bacon. Rolling her eyes, the witch went to the other room and took out her phone. She flicked through the numbers in her contact list until she found the number for Elijah Mikaelson. Alexandria didn't know how or when she had gotten his number, but she was glad. The Original answered almost immediately.

"Yes?" he answered politely.

"Hey, 'Lijah." she responded casually. It was one of her worst habits. She always dropped the _e _in his name.

"Hello, Alex. Might I ask why you're calling?"

"What, I can't just call to say hi?" There was silence on the other end.

"Okay, fine. Have you seen the news today?" He hadn't. _Big surprise._

"Well, the bodies of two young women were found behind the Grill, not a drop of blood in their body. Damon has learned his lesson, and Stef...Stef wouldn't do that. Caroline would absolutely _die_. I just wanted to know if you might have any idea who it might be." The line was quiet for a few moments.

"These two girls, were they by any chance blonde?" he finally asked. Alex was taken aback, but peeked back into the kitchen. The girls were indeed blonde. In fact, they were the same girls she had seen the day before.

"Yeah, they were." There was a dry, unamused chuckling.

"I think I know your culprit. Kol. He's always had a taste for blondes. His favorite flavor, as he puts it." Elijah sounded disgusted. "Alexandria, I will deal with my brother. Don't worry over it. Oh," he added, "happy early birthday, in case we don't cross paths before next Thursday." He hung up, leaving her confused. Then again, that was like his super power.

Sghing, she finished her pudding and slipped on her flats, then went outside to her Kia Soul waiting in the driveway. She got into the green car and started driving, her destination unknown. People were acting odd. Caroline, who still calorie counted, was talking to her about cake. Carol was talking about "next week's arrangements," whatever that meant. Then Elijah wishing her a happy early birthday? She was about _positive_ he didn't know when her birthday was. Alex just hoped that Caroline wasn't trying to plan her a surprise party. She hated them. She hated crowds, and she was also claustrophobic. Even though she had lived in Mystic Falls her whole life, she didn't know many people outside their circle of supernatural buddies. Parking, the young witch realized she had went to the Grill. Getting out and grabbing her notebook, she decided hanging out for the day wouldn't be bad. She found a corner table away from other people and sat down, relieved. Until someone sat across from her. Kol.

"Oh, great. It's you." she grumbled, looking up at him through her lashes. He grinned crookedly.

"You don't even know me, yet you think you hate me." he said in a thoughtful voice.

"I know enough about you to not like you." she said defiantly.

"Enlighten me."

"Fine. Let's start our presentation. _Reasons Why I Don't Like You_. You beat Damon with a bat, you threatened to hurt Jeremy, you tried to kill Matt for _fun_, you're cocky, you're arrogant, and you killed two girls last night." she said matter-of-factly. He had watched her with amusement until the last reason.

"You can't possibly know if I killed two girls last night. But you know, the only thing I'm hearing is you don't _want _to like me because of my family. Completely understandable, but really, you should know better than to judge someone based on their family." he replied, putting slight emphasis on _you._

"That's not true!" she argued, annoyed.

"Then get to know me. I dare you."

* * *

**AN: Hi there! So, I really hope you like the chapter! I'll try to get some more up later. But before I go on, there's something I want to address. An Anonymous asked me a few questions, so I'm going to take the time to answer them. **

**A: Kol will be Kol about it. He's not going to let her get off easily, he'll probably tease her about it quite a bit. When _he _finds out that he loves her, it will be interesting, to say the least. A: ****I'm sure it will happen some time in the story, but I'm not really sure when that would be.**

**I think I've covered all of them? Anyway, if anyone has anymore questions, leave them in your review and I'll answer them! Thanks for taking the time to read Love Bites, and hopefully review it, too!**

**XOXOX**


	4. Daring Outcome

_Cold as ice,_

_And more bitter than a December winter night._

_That's how I treated you._

-Adam Lambert, Better Than I Know Myself

* * *

**Week One. Day Two.**

Alex looked at Kol with surprise.

"You just don't give up, do you?" she grumbled, having too much pride to back down from a dare. He grinned, obviously he had guessed that about her.

"Unfortunately not." he said cheerfully. She glared at him, annoyed.

"Okay, so tell me about yourself, Kol." she finally said, leaning back into her chair and studying him. Mischief seemed to just radiate off of him. His dark eyes usually seemed to sparkle with mocking amusement, as they were then.

"I'm Kol, the youngest Mikaelson before Bekah, and definitely the best looking. I'm _very _kind, and I rarely cause trouble. Most people will say I'm lying, but who're you going to believe?" Kol said, smiling charmingly. Alex snorted.

"Okay, the only part of your little speech that was true was that you're only a little older than Rebekah."

"Why don't you tell me what you know about me, then? I'll tell you how much of it is true." he answered, his eyes amused and a little irritated.

"Okay, well, you're cocky, arrogant, and completely into yourself. I know that you act like you don't care about them, but in the end, you choose your family above all. I _also _know that you like keeping girls as your toys. You charm them, make them think you really care, and when they start having the smallest bit of feelings for you, you leave. You seduce them, mess with their head, probably use them as chew toys too. You don't care about any of them. Which proves my theory that you are a true bastard. I know you're trying to do the same to me, but I actually have half of a brain. I'm not going to be one of your little toys." she said, and with that, she got up, grabbed her bag, and left.

It took Kol a few seconds to react. Alexandria had been dead on. It didn't mean he would stop, but it was disconcerting that she had been so right. He followed her quickly, catching her.

"You know, Kol, you should find someone else to bother." Alex said, and as he grabbed her arm, he felt as if he were being electrocuted. She was still glaring at him, and he released her arm.

"What was that?" he hissed, shaking his numb arm.

"Witch trick. Bonnie taught it to me. Now, if you don't mind, well, I don't care if you mind or not. I'm leaving." she said, walking backwards, then turned around. Looking up, Kol saw a car coming her way, the driver turned around yelling at her children. He grabbed her again, pulling her to him.

"What the hell!" she yelled, then quieted down when the mini van came driving by, a few miles over the speed limit. She looked up into his eyes, her own wide, and for a few moments, just looked at him, slightly getting lost. His brown eyes seemed to stare straight through her and deep into her soul. He smirked and stepped away from her.

"See? I can be nice. Since I just saved you from getting run over, don't you think you should at least spend today with me? Please?" he asked, smiling at her charmingly.

Alex knew it would be rude to say no. Besides, he _had _just saved her life. She at least owed him the benefit of doubt.

"Fine. But not here at the Grill. I don't really want anyone to know I'm spending the day with an Original." she said, sighing, though on the inside, she was intrigued by him. "But you have to promise me one thing." she added.

He raised an eyebrow. "What might that be?"

"Promise you won't fall in love with me."

He snorted, trying to not laugh. She continued to look at him evenly.

"No problem there." he said.

* * *

**Week One. Day Four.**

It had been two days since she had spent the afternoon with him. She hadn't seen him since. He both excited and irritated her. The idea of him was appealing, but not so much him. She knew she didn't have any feelings for him, but she was still curious. She was definitely physically attracted to him, as she knew he was to her. But she didn't think she was really attracted to his personality. Sighing, she got up, only to start coughing until she was retching.

_Guess I caught some kind of bug..._she thought once she was done. Alex wiped her nose and went to the bathroom, feeling horrible. Looking in the mirror, she didn't look much better than she felt. She was scary pale, even for her. Her lips, normally pink, were nearly white, her cheeks flushed from moving around, and she had dark bags under her eyes. Her heart felt like it was pounding into her chest, and she was finding it hard to stand. She wondered what she had gotten into to get this sick as she went back to bed, shivering. She pulled her phone out of her nightstand drawer and texted Tyler.

_Bring me some pudding. Please. :)_

He replied immediately. _I don't think that's such a good idea, Alex. Dr. Fell said you need to be eating healthy things._

_Pudding IS healthy!_

_Not according to the food chart. How about I bring you some apple soup?_

_...Apple...Soup?_

_Ah. Sorry. I meant to put chicken soup._

_As long as I don't have to eat apple soup, we're good. But I'm a vegitarian... Hey! Ty! Know what you can bring me with it?_

_Right. I keep forgetting. If it's pudding..._

_No. Jell-O._

_...What are the symptoms of diabetes?_

_"Tyler!"_ she yelled.

"What?" he shouted back, obviously trying to not laugh.

"Don't talk about diabetes to a pudding-lover!" she said, snuggling back into bed. She fell asleep quickly and found herself in a dream.

* * *

She walked with him, waiting for him to dazzle her. "Well? So far you're pretty boring."

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye and smiled slightly, offering her his arm. Raising an eyebrow, she took it and walked with him.

"What would you like to know?" he finally asked, his dark eyes turning to her.

"How old were you when your mother made your family into Originals? Have you ever killed someone you knew personally? What did it feel like, the first time you fed? What would someone have to do to capture your attention?" she blurted out before able to stop herself. Kol looked bemused by all of the questions.

"I was nineteen years old. Yes, I have. I've killed my mother a few times, and my sister. It felt...Horrifying, yet oddly exhilirating. That someone would have to be very special to get my attention. They would have to stand out in a crowd." he answered accordingly, grinning when he got to the last bit.

"Now. About you." Alexandria cringed.

"Fine." she said gamely.

"How old are you? What's your favorite flower? Any allergies? Favorite movie? Favorite actress? Favorite singer?" She widened her eyes at the flood of questions. He seemed oddly interested.

"I'm going to turn nineteen next Thursday. White carnation, um, wheat, _The Lion King_ or _Pirates of the Carribean_, Emma Stone, and Adam Lambert."

They went back and forth like that for a while, getting to know each other by asking completely random questions. By the end of the day, she knew just about every random bit of information of Kol's life, and he hers.

* * *

Alex woke up, still tired. Tyler was looking at her strangely.

"What?" she asked, putting her head under the covers.

"First, Dr. Fell wants to see you and run some tests. Just a precautionary thing. And second...Why did you keep saying 'Kol' in your sleep?" he replied, pulling the black blanket up and away from her face.

"I dunno. I was dreaming about_ A Walk to Remember_." she said quickly, then frowned, wondering why that was the first thing to pop in her head. Tyler put a hand on her arm.

"Hey. I'm sure nothing's wrong. Don't worry." he said softly. She nodded and sat up, feeling woozy.

"Mind getting me my flats over there?" she asked, pointing to her bright green shoes laying in front of her closet. She was feeling nervous about her tests. She knew it was probably nothing, but there was a small chance something might be seriously wrong...

* * *

**AN: Okay, yeah, hi! Soooo, how'd you like it? Leave me a review? So, I'm not going to update until I have at least 28 reviews. I'd love thirty, though. *wink wink* Reviews make me write faster, and besides, I like knowing I'm doing a good job. I know this chapter wasn't the best, but the next chapter will be better. I promise. By the way, I put a poll on my page, about Alex and Kol's song. I've decided I want to post bits and pieces of one song in particular, so yeah. If you guys could vote, that would be awesome! Anyway, thanks for reading and hopefully reviewing-in case you didn't know, I have anonymous reviews enabled. So, thanks again! And can I just say...21 reviews? You guys are amazing. Love you all.**

**XOXOX**


	5. Broken Trust

_I know it's hard to remember  
The people we used to be..._

-Maroon 5, Payphone

* * *

**Week One. Day Four.**

Pain. Destruction. Death. That was what he was best at. Resentful. Angry. Alone. That was how he had felt. He had never gotten over his half-brother daggering him. There was still resentment and frustration. Part of him understood why he had done it, but none of him cared. It wasn't fair. Their father may have been after them, but he could handle himself. He _did _handle himself. His siblings didn't understand why he still felt the way he did. Finn had been daggered the longest out of all of them, yet _his _biggest concern was Sage. Rebekah had at least made it to the twenties. He hadn't. Kol never truly understood why _she_ had gotten to live. She wasn't any better than him. His one small comfort was that Elijah had been looking for him. He would never say it out loud, but it had hurt, knowing Nik and Bekah were happier without him. He also knew that Elijah was looking for all three of them, but at least he had been looking. To be perfectly honest, which was rare for Kol, he had always slightly hated his family. He always felt slightly left out.

Elijah and Finn had gotten along great, and Niklaus and Rebekah had always been a pair. Kol had been closest to Henrik. Then he had died, leaving him the odd-man out. He would never say any of this out loud, to anyone. It made him weak. Yet he couldn't help but think about it all when he was lying in his dark room late at night. Wondering what might have happened if he hadn't been locked in that miserable coffin for as long as he had. What might have happened if he hadn't been daggered at all. He didn't let himself feel what he was truly feeling. A drawing attraction to her. Part of him was defiant, determined to make his brother's life more complicated than it already was. That part of him wanted to break her so as to make Caroline hate his family even more. But another part of him, a part that had been buried for some time, wanted to get to know her. _That _part, the part that craved her, was far more dangerous.

He had told Rebekah that loving a mortal was the first sign of weakness. In truth, opening yourself up was the first sign. By the time you get to loving, you're far past weak. You're harmless. Love made people fools, of that he was certain. He knew it was too early, too soon, for him to feel anything like that toward her. But if he continued the way he was, it wouldn't be long. This game was different from the others. In the past, he would never ask a girl about herself. In the past, he had never been more determined. If a girl hadn't been interested, he would move on to the next one. This girl...This girl had made _him_ interested. He was absolutely determined to have her under his spell. He was absolutely determined to find out what made this girl so special. Even if it killed someone in the process.

There was a soft knock on his door, and a quietly cleared throat. Elijah. He was the only one in this house that actually knew what knocking was.

"Come in, 'Lijah." Kol said, sitting up on his bed. Since he was a child, he had gotten into the habit of calling his brother 'Lijah whenever they were having a private conversation. His brother stepped in and shut the door behind him, straightening his suit. That was one thing he had never understood. How Elijah was comfortable wearing suits all the time. He himself preferred jeans. Elijah looked at him curiously.

"Kol...How are you doing?" he asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. He shrugged.

"I'm perfectly all right, brother. Why do you ask?" he replied, laying back with his hands behind his head, the picture definition of relaxed. He was anything but.

"Tell me the truth. I know you've been having a hard time since Denver. I just want to make sure you're okay." Elijah said, looking at him, concern etched on his face. Kol shook his head.

"No. I'm not okay. I don't think I ever will be." he whispered, hating how vulnerable he felt. Then again, this was Elijah. In truth, the least judgemental of all his siblings. He wouldn't tell anyone about his feelings, Kol knew. His older brother was above that. The other sighed.

"How can I help you, Kol? There has to be something that can help." The younger of the two didn't seem to hear him.

"I want her, Elijah. I want her badly, and that scares me." he finally said, staring at the ceiling. "I don't know what to do about it. Everytime I let myself care, it just hurts more. You know what happened last time."

Elijah did indeed know what happened last time. Kol had finally decided to trust Niklaus a few hundred years ago. He had called him out, to "catch up." Then he had gotten a dagger in the heart. His younger brother wasn't able to trust easily, especially now. Klaus had shattered that trust, making Kol almost as paranoid as he. This saddened Elijah. Kol wasn't able to fully trust any of them now. He wanted Kol to trust him. He should be _able_ to trust him. He knew that Kol would always stand by his family, as the rest of them would. But would any of them stand by Kol? Elijah would. He needed someone he could count on. It would just have to be Elijah, whether he liked it or not.

"Why do you want her? Is it simple bloodlust? If it is, you know what you have to do." he finally said, surprising both of them. He truly liked Alexandria. She was a good girl with a bright future ahead of her. The other shook his head, dark eyes fixed on the ceiling.

"No. I want to get to know her. There's something special about her, something different, and I feel like if I don't figure it out, I'll explode."

"If I didn't know any better, I would think you might be falling in love with this girl." That was clearly the wrong thing to say. Kol sat up quickly, his eyes guarded and cold. Elijah cursed himself internally. He had taken three steps forward and five steps back.

"I'm not falling in love with anyone. Ever. She can die next week for all I care." Kol snarled. Elijah tried to touch his arm, which was another wrong move. He shook it off and was over to the door in an instant, flinging it open and stalking down the hall, hissing under his breath. He failed to see Klaus leaned up against the wall, grinning crookedly.

* * *

**AN: So, I caved and decided to post this. I hope you guys like it. I had fun developing the Kol and Elijah relationship. How did I do? The next chapter will be from Kol's perspective also. As for Klaus...I have no idea what I'm going to do with him. He's plotting, that I know for sure. So, if you guys could review, that would be great. I like to know that I'm doing a good job and people are actually still reading. By the way, you guys should really read the fic Petrova Fire. It's definitely worth it!**


	6. Madness

_Everybody has a dark side_

_Do you love me, could you love mine?_

-Kelly Clarkson, Dark Side

* * *

**Week One. Day Six.**

Kol caught Alexandria walking out of the Grill. He grabbed her wrist and glared at her.

"What did you do to me?" he hissed, his eyes hostile. Instead of shrinking away, Alex smirked.

"Enjoy your few days of madness?" she asked, tilting her head to the side tantalizingly.

"You _did _do something to me!" Kol growled, anger coming off of him in waves. The girl shrugged easily.

"A simple spell to let you know how all those girls feel when you mess with them." she told him. She raised an eyebrow, her expression thoughtful.

"You know, I can see why you like to make people suffer. It's so fun to watch people torture themselves!" she said cheerfully. He reached up to touch her face. Anyone passing by would simply think he was caressing her- his expression had smoothed out- but in reality, he was pressing down on her neck. If he did this long enough, she would collapse. Alex moved out of his reach.

"Have you ever been shocked by a high-voltage tazer before, Kol?" He shook his head, tempted to snap her neck.

"Do that to me again and you'll know the feeling." she warned darkly. Kol suddenly grabbed her, leading her behind the Grill. She, surprisingly enough, let him. Once they were far enough back that no one would see them, he slammed her up against the wall. Alex's head cracked up against it, but he didn't care. Kol kept her pressed against the wall enough that it was hard for her to breathe.

"My brother said you're off-limits. Please do not test me." he told her seriously. It was true. Niklaus had made sure Kol understood that he couldn't kill Alexandria. She was essential in his plans.

The girl glared at him, fire in her green eyes. "And if I do? You're certainly not going to kill me." she said, a challenge clear in her tone. He pressed her even more into the wall, his hands tightening around her wrists.

"You just asked the worst possible question, darling." he said, the veins beginning to show under his eyes. Alexandria had seen several vampires like that, but something about it being Kol scared her even more.

His fangs grazed her neck, sending her pulse flying as she started to struggle. He smirked at that, then bit down. Drinking her blood was pure ecstasy. It was like the world's finest wine. Mixed in was the magic in her blood, making it heady and irresistible. Alex started trashing against him, which was foolish. It only hurt if you fought it. Her attempts got weaker as he continued to drink deeply. Finally, he stopped when she nearly fell against him.

"I can do that. Over and over again. Still want to test me?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as he bit his own wrist, offering it to her unceremoniously. She shook her head feebly, trying to push him off of her. Kol rolled his eyes and pressed his wrist to her mouth, forcing her to drink his blood.

After a few minutes, the color returned to her face and the bite mark was gone. Alex glared at him.

"You're a monster." she whispered, trying to shove him away.

"At least I'm a handsome monster." he replied, shrugging. He wasn't going to budge.

"You are never to cast a spell on me ever again. Do we understand each other?"

The young witch just continued to glare at him. He pressed her further into the wall.

"_Do we understand each other?" _he asked again.

Alexandria nodded mutinously.

"Good." Kol said, looking in her eyes. He thought it odd that she didn't take vervain, or at least wear a necklace. She gazed back at him, the fire slowly dying in her eyes. They were once again tranquil.

Somehow, they both found themselves locked together, her fingers tangling in his hair as he kissed her hungrily. Neither of them was sure how this ended up happening. One second they were looking at each other, the next they were wrapped in a passionate embrace. His hands trailed down to her waist, pulling her closer to him. Just as he forced her mouth open, her phone rang, loud and clear. They both sprang apart, as if they had been caught committing a crime. Kol looked away from her, swearing under his breath. What had just happened?

"Hello? No…What? Are- Are you sure? Oh my God. Yeah. I'll be right there." Alex said into the phone, then hung up.

"I have to go. Apparently, your brother stole mine." she said, hostility back in her eyes. She went back to the front of the Grill, Kol following her.

"What?" he demanded, walking beside her. She threw him a scathing look.

"As if you don't already know." Alexandria looked at him, and Kol had the feeling of being electrocuted. He hissed in pain, rubbing his temples with his fingers. When he looked up, she was gone.

The vampire looked around, bewildered. He shook his head, deciding to go find his brother.

**XXXX**

When he got home, Nik was in his study, drawing. Kol casually picked up an apple and looked at his brother.

"Hello, Kol." Klaus said without looking up.

"Hello, Nik." the other replied, taking a bite out of his apple.

Klaus glanced over at him. "Is there something you want?"

"Did you take that Lockwood boy?" Niklaus frowned.

"No. In case you can't tell, I'm trying to remain on good terms with Caroline. Taking her boyfriend and her best friend's brother would be foolish of me, don't you think?" he replied, raising an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Your darling Caroline and friends seem to think you did." Kol explained, examining the apple. Deciding it wasn't the right shade of red, he threw it at his brother's head. It made a good _thwack. _

Klaus growled, straightening slowly. He turned to face his younger brother. Kol grinned sardonically.

"Problem, brother?" he asked innocently. The other narrowed his eyes.

"That's it. No more fruit is allowed in this house." Kol's mouth fell open slightly in shock. He quickly regained his composure.

"That's fine. Perfectly fine. I can eat vegetables."

**XXXX**

Alex rushed home, trying to figure out what Caroline had said. Through it all, she had sounded positive it was Klaus who had taken Tyler. Running up to the house, the witch threw the front door open. She hurried to the living room where Damon, Stefan, Elena, Caroline, Bonnie, and Alaric sat. Well, Damon was pacing, Stefan was wearing his 'broody vampire' look, Elena was quietly talking with Caroline, Alaric was staring out the window, absently playing with his ring, and Bonnie was flipping through her Grimoire. They all looked up when Alex walked in.

"What happened?" she demanded, arms crossed.

"Come on." Damon said, motioning for her to follow him. She followed, starting to get irritated.

"Your mom got home and went to Tyler's room. This is what she found." he said quietly, pushing the door open.

The room looked perfectly normal. Tyler's laptop sat open on the bed, as always.

"Okay? Tyler always leaves his laptop on." Alex said, raising an eyebrow.

Damon rolled his eyes. "Look at the screen."

She did. It was on a word document. Frowning, Alexandria scrolled down to the last page. There it was. Four simple words.

_I've captured your bishop._

Under it was a picture of chess pieces. The bishop was missing.

"Carol called me because I'm co-head of the Council. Everyone else just showed up." Damon told her, shrugging. Alex didn't reply.

Suddenly, she dashed from the room, up to the attic. She dug around in boxes until she found her old chess set, then ran back downstairs. Everyone was clearly waiting for an explanation.

Wordlessly, the girl began setting the board up on the coffee table.

The white bishop was missing. She _knew _it had been there before. She just knew it.

They all sat in silence, Alex with her arms wrapped around her legs, staring at the set, and everyone else at her, wondering if she had lost it.

"Ah!" she yelled, causing everyone to jump back. She grabbed the black bishop and frowned.

"Alex?" Elena asked cautiously.

"Whoever did this, they meant for me to find that. Since I'm the only one who knows how to play chess in this house." Alex said softly.

"But it's Klaus, right?" Caroline asked. The witch's frown deepened.

"Chess is a game of strategy and patience. For some reason, Klaus doesn't strike me as the patient type." she told everyone.

"That's true." Stefan agreed, nodding. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

"You always have to think three moves ahead. But, see how the board is set up? It would take forever for the bishop to be in a position to be captured. All the pawns have to get out of the way." she finished, looking up. "There's a good possibility this is Klaus. But keep your mind open."

"For now, we just need to focus on Tyler, right?" Bonnie said, looking around. The others nodded.

"Let's try to concentrate on finding him. And I think I know how we should start."

* * *

**AN: I'M BAAA-AAACCK! Hiya! So, here's the chapter! What do you think? It's totally not expected, right? I knew that year of learning to play chess would come in handy some day! Wanna know how I got the writing juices flowing? I made a new playlist, filled with tons of new songs. (If you want it, just ask! I'll send it to you!) I really hope you liked this chapter. I know I do. But I'd like to take some time to thank those of you who offered your support. It really means a lot to me. :) Anyway, leave your comments in your review! Hope you enjoyed this! I know I did.**

**P.S. I just have to ask..Am I the only one who gets seriously scared when I imagine Kol's vampire face? But of course, the way I envision it, there's blood smeared on his mouth, he's holding a nearly dead girl in his arms and there are several dead bodies around him. So, that makes it even creepier. **


	7. Silent Observer

_Strip away the flesh and bone,_

_Look beyond the lies you've known_

-Adam Lambert, Underneath

* * *

**Week Two. Day Nine.**

Alexandria sat in the Grill, thinking. Bonnie's plan had made sense.

The Founder's Council had decided to have a Summer Ball in order to get everyone together and lighten the mood. Carol, knowing that there was a good chance the Mikaelsons might have Tyler, accepted Klaus's offer of having it at his house. The public news was that Tyler had left town for a while.

So, everyone would go to the party, and persuade an Original. Stefan had been assigned Rebekah, Damon was just there in general, as was Bonnie. Caroline, much to her displeasure, had been given Klaus, Elena was supposed to charm Elijah, and Alexandria had to sweet talk Kol. Alaric would be there as back up.

Kol. Alex hadn't seen him since the day they found out about Tyler. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. He had attacked her, nearly killed her. But he had also kissed her. And she had kissed him back. That was what really puzzled her. She sighed and looked at the bishop, which she had been carrying with her everywhere. Someone sat next to her and rested their chin on her shoulder.

Alex shrugged the person off and looked over. There he was. Think of the devil, and he shall appear. Kol.

"You don't look pleased to see me, Lex." he said, raising an eyebrow and popping one of her French fries in his mouth. She raised an eyebrow as well.

"_Lex?" _she repeated. Kol nodded.

"Calling you Alexandria all the time is too formal. Alex is too unisex and everyone uses it. It may fit you, but it doesn't fit me. So now you're my darling Lex." Alex narrowed her eyes.

"I'm not your darling anything, pal." Kol frowned.

""Pal?' "Hey, pal. Pal. How's it going, pal?'" This isn't good. You're calling me pal now." The girl made an annoyed noise and turned away from him.

"You know you like it, Lex. It's okay. I understand. Others more powerful have fallen victim to my charm." he breathed in her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

"And what charm is that?" she asked, facing him again.

He didn't answer that. "Happy early birthday." he said, smiling a little. Alex frowned. He tried another subject. Clearly, she was not a fan of her birthday.

"So, are you going to that silly ball thing?" he drawled, raising a brow. He couldn't help but admire her. Not only was she extremely attractive, but her character was quite interesting.

"Of course I am." she replied, eating a fry. Kol wanted very badly to ask her about the whole "Your brother took my brother" situation, but didn't dare.

"I bet you'll look ravishing." he predicted. Alex shrugged.

"Maybe. It's next Wednesday, right?" He nodded.

"You know…Your brother sort of has a Cinderella fetish…" she said, pursing her lips. Kol chuckled.

"I know. It's frightening." Alex studied him, biting her lip and tugging on her braid.

* * *

Anyone observing the two, as the bartender was, would notice the way he would shift toward her, and she would move away, only to move closer to him mere seconds later. He would look at her, his gaze intense, and she would look down, flushing. She'd bit her lip and he'd look at her lips, as of he wanted very much to kiss her.

Their hands would brush, and they would both jerk away, as if shocked. He would clear his throat, embarrassed, and she would look around shyly. It was like they were drawn to each other, but far too stubborn to admit it. The bartender knew that feeling all too well. After all, she had been eighteen once. She knew what it was like to fall for someone completely wrong for you in every way.

But looking at these two, she smiled a little. A week ago, she had been watching them, and they had been at each other's throats. What had changed?

She had heard of Kol Mikaelson. She knew he was an ultimate player. Yet it was so hard to believe that he didn't care about this girl from the way he looked at her, listening attentively.

And Alex. She was a smart, firm girl. Less than a week ago she had been looking at this boy with pure loathing. Now, whenever their eyes met, she would glance down, biting her lip.

Something had changed between them. Something good. It was adorable to watch them. Whenever they touched, she would flush and scoot away, and he would look around. They would unknowingly shift closer to each other.

"Bartender? Another drink?" a man asked, raising an eyebrow. Shaking herself, she looked back to her husband of twenty-five years.

"Of course, sir." she said, grabbing his glass. His eyes trailed off to the young pair across the place.

"Remind you of anyone?" he said quietly, smiling a little. She nodded.

"Just a little." she replied, pouring his drink and giving it to him. They both watched Kol and Alex, though they were lost in memories.

The bartender was brought back to reality as she watched the girl get up, heading toward the door. The boy quickly followed, grabbing her wrist and turning her around. It was expected that he was going to kiss her. Instead, he murmured softly to her, causing her to flush. He kissed her cheek, dropping her arm and letting her walk away, smiling to herself. The bartender sighed, shaking her head in slight amusement.

Eventually, they would come to terms with the truth. Until then, she would enjoy watching them fall for each other.

* * *

**AN: You have no idea how many times I said "Awwww" while writing this. So, I know it's short and irrelevant to the last chapter, but I bet you loved it.**

**Shout out to my reader of the story, Milly!**

**By that, I mean she has been my biggest supporter while I've been writing Love Bites.**

**I love you, chica! Stay fierce!**


	8. Necklace

_Pretty, pretty please,_

_Don't you ever, ever feel_

_Like you're less than, less than perfect_

-Pink, Perfect

* * *

**Week Two. Day Ten.**

Alex woke up to Damon's face less than an inch from hers.

"Jesus!" she yelped, heart pounding.

"Actually, it's just me. But I've been told the resemblance is startling." Damon chuckled, leaning away so she could sit up. She did that and frowned.

"Why were you staring at me like a creep while I was sleeping, Salvatore?" she grumbled. "You're like a real life Edward Cullen."

"I wanted to give you this." he said, handing her a small red and gold rectangle.

"Oh, Damon, you shouldn't have." Alex said, looking at the rectangle.

"Very funny. Open it up." he replied, rolling his eyes.

Doing so, Alex's eyes widened. Inside the box was a beautiful necklace, very similar to Elena's.

"What? Damon…This is…Wow." she said, unable to really form a sentence. Examining the necklace, she noted that in small ways is was different from Elena's. It was lighter, for one thing, not as heavy. And where the stone was red on Elena's, on this one, the stone was green.

"Thank you, Damon." she said, smiling at him.

"Don't mention it, kid. Happy birthday, Alex." he answered, watching her put the necklace on. Her green eyes met his blue ones, and she smiled again.

"You didn't have to-"

"I wanted to." he said firmly.

Everyone had agreed to just have a small dinner for her birthday instead of Caroline's surprise party. Alex had glared at her when she announced that she had been planning a surprise party. Alex hated surprises. Almost as much as she hated people celebrating her birthday. What was the point? She was only a year older.

"So, we need to talk about something." Damon said, clearing his throat. She nodded, waiting.

"What's going on between you and Kol?" Alex froze.

"I….I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I think you do. Come on, Alex, you know that gossip spreads like wildfire in Mystic Falls. And the latest gossip is that the little Lockwood girl has been spending an awful lot of time with the youngest Mikaelson boy."

"Just because you heard it doesn't mean it's true."

"And just because you said it doesn't mean it's true either, but I have a feeling it is." Damon returned. Alex rolled her eyes.

"What do you want me to say, Damon? The guy keeps popping out of nowhere and talking to me. Should I just ignore him?"

Yes! Come on, Alex. Kol is only trouble. I know you've had flirtation with trouble in the past," he said, referring to the extremely brief period that they had tried dating, "but with Kol it wouldn't be as simple to get away. He looks at you…Like you're something to eat."

"Well," Alexandria said, shrugging, "he _is _a vampire, after all." Damon didn't look amused.

"All I'm saying is that he just wants one thing from you, and he's not going to stop until he gets it. You can't have feelings for him. Come on, his brother kidnapped yours for Christ's sake!"

"And I'm supposed to judge him based on his family's actions? Nothing is certain. You can't judge someone based on their family. You should know that better than anyone else, Damon." she said, eyeing him coldly. In truth, she had no idea why she was being so defensive about it all. Damon sighed.

"Fine. But when he shatters you completely, don't come crying to me." After saying that, Damon got up and left her room. Alex sighed, flopping back down onto her bed.

She knew that he was right, that Kol only wanted one thing from her. Or….Or maybe he didn't. Sure, it was a long shot, but…No. No. Kol didn't care for her the slightest. Just like she didn't care for him.

**XXXX**

Later, Alex was in the park, reading Shakespeare. She wasn't really surprised when Kol sat next to her.

"You know, sooner or later I'm going to expect you to declare your intentions." she said without looking up. Kol smirked and leaned in close to her, whispering something in her ear. She flushed scarlet and looked at him, appalled and flattered at the same time.

"Kol! That's….That's….Oh, I give up." He watched her for a little bit, amused.

"So, this is how you're spending your birthday?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Shh! Yes, this is how I'm spending my birthday. Sitting in the park and reading Shakespeare." she said, turning a page.

"_Macbeth? _You have odd taste, Lex." Alex rolled her eyes.

"Is there something you want?"

"You." he replied immediately, causing her to blush again.

"Well, you're not going to get me. So is there anything else you want?" He leaned close to her, giving her a feather-light kiss on her neck. Her heart jumped, and he smirked.

"Are you so sure I won't get you, Lex?" he murmured, continuing to give her the soft kisses until he reached her jaw.

"Y-Yes."

"You don't seem so sure." Kol remarked, near her lips now.

"I am. I….I am."

"It's not wrong to want me, you know. Just admit it, Lex. You want me just as much as I want you."

"You don't want me, Kol." she said, leaning away from him. "But I busted up your pride pretty bad, so you're not going to stop until I want you. If that were to ever happen, you wouldn't want me anymore. You just want what you can't have."

"I could have you at any point. I just choose not to because it would ruin the challenge."

"There is no challenge! You have better chances of getting Damon to sleep with you!"

"But I want _you._ Only you." Kol answered, shifting closer to her.

"You are never going to have me."

"Never say never, darling. You don't know what can happen."

"Can and will are two different things." she said, turning to glare at him. She was surprised at how close his face was to hers.

"You want me. I want you. It's not exactly rocket science." he said softly before pressing his lips to hers. Alex wanted to push him away, to smack him and say _How dare you? _But another part of her, a part she had been shoving down, wanted him. Craved him. That part longed to feel his arms around her, to touch his bare skin. After a few moments, she pulled away.

"You need to stop doing that." she said, getting up and grabbing her book. He got up as well, and followed her as she started to walk away.

"Last time you kissed back, Lex. And this time you didn't exactly say no." She stopped walking and breathed in deeply, counting to ten.

"What do you want, Kol? And don't give me some bull, cocky answer about how you want me. What do you really want?" she asked, opening her eyes. She was once again greeted with his face only inches from hers.

Kol didn't reply, but instead took her hand and started leading her somewhere. Alex let him, curiosity getting the better of her. She tried to not concentrate on how his hand felt, smooth and rough at the same time, or the fact that his thumb was rubbing circles on the back of her hand. Instead, she tried to focus on where they were going. Surprisingly, he led her to her own house.

"Okay?"

"We're going to play a game, Lex. Because quite frankly, I need to figure out what makes you tick." Alexandria wasn't sure how to respond.

"I…What kind of game?"

"Something similar to twenty questions."

"Great. Just great."

"Relax, darling. I won't bite. Hard, that is." She rolled her eyes as he winked, though her heart sped up a little. She took him to the backyard, where they sat and just looked at each other for a while.

"Question one: If you've lived here most of your life, how is your accent still so pronounced?" he asked. She almost laughed at the intensity of his gaze.

"Well, nearly every summer I go stay up with my aunt in Wales. I also go during spring break, and every other Christmas. Sometimes she comes down here. Whenever I see her, I spend a lot of time with her. I guess she sort of renews my accent." she said, shrugging. He nodded.

"All right then. Why not change your last name to Lockwood?"

Alex looked down.

"Well…I….I don't know. I guess that, some part of me thinks that if I stay Alexandria James, and my mother ever wants to find me, she'll be able to. I….I know it's stupid. She gave me up. She didn't want me. But maybe she'd want me now. I know that's crazy….I don't even know her name." she said quietly, her eyes stinging.

"Your mother is Carol Lockwood." Kol said, looking at her. "She wants you. She loves you. She's also your real mother. Sure, the lady who actually has your DNA gave you up, but you know what, Lex?" He paused, tilting her chin up to make her look at him. "The only thing she did was give up what could have been the best thing in her life. She's missing out on a wonderful person, the kind of person that you don't see everyday." he told her firmly, staring deep into her eyes. Once again, she was unsettled by the depths in his gaze. Surprising both of them, she wrapped her arms around him tightly, embracing him.

"Thank you." she whispered. He kissed the top of her head and wound his arms around her, bewildered but not making any move to push her away.

"It's only the truth, Lex. Sometimes we need to be reminded of what we already know." She sighed, a little confused at how comfortable she was in his arms.

"You know what I think?" she asked, pulling away slightly so she could look at him.

"What do you think?"

"I think you're a good man, Kol. You're a little lost, but there's good in you. And perhaps some day someone will get you to show it." As she spoke, she had no idea how those words would change everything.

"You already do." he murmured, lifting a hand from her waist to touch her face gently. Her eyes widened a little, her confusion obvious. Panicking, Kol pushed her away a little, looking at her. Her necklace. Vervain. He slipped it off of her neck quickly, before she even knew what was going on.

"You don't remember what just happened." he said, compelling her. He couldn't believe that he had let himself slip like that. He just seemed to let it go when he was with her.

Her eyes were blank for about thirty seconds, then they cleared up.

"Anyway…." Alex said, for some reason feeling awkward.

"Tell me something about yourself I would never guess." he said, as if nothing has happened. He quickly slipped her necklace on so fast she wouldn't even notice and winced when it burned him.

"All right. I love old TV shows. Things like _I Love Lucy _and _The Dick Van Dyke Show._ I don't know why, but I just love them. I also like _Bewitched, _which I know is kinda odd."

Kol shook his head, amused. Yet he was also disturbed. He hadn't thought when he had said what he did. He didn't make mistakes like that. He had never done it before. So why was he doing it now?

* * *

**Author's note: Awww! It's so cute. I just..UGH. I just want them to be together. Don't you? So, this chapter is a bit different. Obviously. So, some of you may be wondering why Alex hasn't said anything about Tyler. Here's why: It's a part of the plan. Just go with it. :D**

**Anyway, how did you like this chapter? Chapter 9 isn't going to have Kol in it. But chapter 10 will. It's a very special chapter. I think you'll enjoy it. ;)**

**Shoutout time!**

**First off, to MockingjayWithFangs. Thanks again for such a sweet message, lovely! (Everyone should check out her fic Flames and sobriquets)**

**Second, to Shevil! You sent such a nice message! **

**Finally, to Milly, for letting me spout out random ideas and giving me an opinion. (Check out her fic A Hidden Jewel. It's very good. And don't forget about Petrova Fire!)**

**So, chapter 9 might take a while. Things are kinda hectic at home, so I don't have a lot of time to write.**


	9. Ball, Part I

_I am trying_

_Not to tell you b__ut I want to _

_I'm scared of what you'll say_

_So I'm hiding what I'm feeling_

_But I'm tired of_

_Holding this inside my head_

_-_Colbie Caillat, Fallin' For You

* * *

**Week Two. Day Sixteen.**

Alex sighed as Caroline brushed back her hair. The past few days had been uneventful. She hadn't seen Kol at all, not that she minded-of course she really did mind, but she'd never admit it. Caroline sighed as well. She had been awfully quiet since coming over a few hours before, laden with makeup, hair care products and two dresses.

"So…How have things been?" Caroline asked quietly. Alex shrugged, wincing as the blonde brushed out a tangle in her hair.

"They've been…Crappy, to be honest." Caroline nodded.

"The same for me…But then, I don't have an Original trying to get in my pants."

"What about Klaus?"

"You know what I mean, Alex. I know there's something going on between you and Kol." Alex bit her lip.

"There's nothing going on between Kol and me. He wants me, I don't want him. Simple as that." she said, trying for normalcy in her tone.

Caroline rolled her eyes.

"Alexandria James. You've been my best friend since we were six. I know when you like a guy. And you like Kol." Alex scoffed.

"As if! There's nothing to like about Kol. Not the way he looks at me, or the way he says my name, or how he acts with me…Nothing." she said, shaking her head. Even to her own ears, it sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than her friend.

"Alex….It's not wrong if you like him…I'm not a fan of the Originals, but if you like him, you like him." Alexandria turned, surprised by her friend's statement.

"Does this have anything to do with another Original, perhaps the hybrid?" she asked, arching a brow. Of course she knew that Caroline was still Tyler's girlfriend, but she had always thought that they didn't really…_work. _Caroline shook her head, not meeting her gaze.

"No. Not at all. I'm just saying that I want you to be happy. And if Kol makes you happy, then so be it." she replied, shrugging.

"But what if it's all a game?" Alex asked, realizing that she was basically admitting she might have feelings for him.

"You don't know until you try. And if that's all it is, then I'll be there for you."

"How can I even like a guy when my brother is missing?" the witch said, sighing. The vampire gave her a reassuring smile.

"Because you're human, Alex. We're still looking for Tyler. If you like somebody, that doesn't mean that you're stopping everything else. Tyler would want you to be happy, not stressed. Now come on. I need to do your makeup." Alex sighed again and turned around. If there was anything to be said about Caroline in this department, it was that she was very good with makeup.

There was a lot of fidgeting while Caroline did her eye makeup; Alex never wore eye shadow, mascara, or eye liner, so it was very uncomfortable.

"Okay, now we need to be careful. No squirming." she said, holding up a tube of liquid blush.

"Oh, no, Care. I like the regular stuff." Alexandria said quickly, shaking her head. Caroline sighed and took out the regular blush.

"You're no fun."

"You're acting like I'm your Barbie doll or something." she grumbled. The other rolled her eyes and started again. Something about the brush moving gently across her cheeks was soothing. Caroline was already done in full hair and makeup, only needing to get in her dress, which was a deep purple, while Alex's was black. After applying dark red lipstick, she started on her friend's hair again.

"So, I was thinking maybe an updo, or possibly leave your hair down. If it were up, we'd need to straighten it."

"Leave it down." Alex said immediately, but not because she didn't want to straighten her hair. She knew that it would please Kol, and that was the objective of the evening. Though she'd be lying if she said she didn't want to impress him.

Caroline laughed a little and shook her head, brushing out the curly black locks one more time before standing back. Alex stood up, letting her friend's critical eye examine her.

"Well?"

"Go look at yourself in the bathroom." was all the blonde said. The girl did that, a little nervous. Upon seeing herself in the mirror, her eyes widened. Caroline had given her a mixture of dark and light, drawing attention to her eyes and lips. She had been doubtful when she had taken out grey eye shadow, but it was clearly a smart choice. It made her green eyes stand out, making them seem richer in color. Her lips looked pursed, as if she was waiting for a kiss. Her skin appeared smoother, softer.

"Wow." she said after finding her voice. She touched her hair, frowning a little. It was usually frizzy, but somehow Caroline had made it smooth and shiny.

"I did good, I know. But you can only do good if your muse is good." Caroline said, grinning.

"Wow." Alex said again. "Thanks, Care."

She nodded bashfully, then grabbed their dresses.

"Get changed. We have half an hour." she ordered. Alex nodded and took her dress, looking at it once more before closing the bathroom door, stripping down, and slipping it on. Looking at herself in the mirror again, she was still amazed.

The dress was long, flowing and sleeveless, three of her least favorite things. The neck was also cut deep, though not too deep. Just deep enough to drive Kol crazy.

Alexandria hadn't had very high expectations, but now she was confident. She stepped out of the bathroom and raised her eyebrows seeing Caroline. The dark purple really complimented her fair skin and hair.

"Caroline, you're beautiful." Alex said, shaking her head. Caroline smiled when she saw Alex.

"So are you. _Lex." _Alex frowned at her.

"I'm just teasing. Don't think I couldn't figure out what Kol calls you. It's obvious." she said, rolling her eyes. The other frowned again and looked for her shoes.

"Alex, seriously. You like him. Just admit it." Alex shook her head, denying it all as she slipped on a pair of black high heeled pumps.

"Whatever. But I promise, by the end of the night, you'll admit it."

**XXXX**

Alex bit the inside of her cheek as she and Caroline went to the open door of the Mikaelson manor. Elena, Bonnie, Stefan and Damon had all went separately, not wanting to draw any attention. Once inside, Caroline looked her over again.

"You're still beautiful. Okay, I'm going to go find Klaus. Yell if you need me." With that, Caroline disappeared into the crowd. Alex sighed and looked around the room, spotting Kol almost immediately.

He was whispering something into a mousy brunette's ear, smirking.

She didn't like the feeling she had in the pit of her stomach as she watched him try to seduce the girl.

Shaking her head, she concentrated on what he was wearing rather than who he was seducing. She had to say, he looked even more attractive in a suit. Or perhaps it was a tuxedo. Really, Alex didn't know or care. She walked over to his general direction, stopping a few feet away and looking around the room. She wasn't surprised when a low, seductive voice sounded in her ear.

"You look good enough to eat." Kol murmured.

"Don't I always, darling? I'm sure there are other things you wish to do." she said, facing him with a raised eyebrow. He also raised an eyebrow, clearly not expecting that response.

"Fine then. Top down, knickers off. My bedroom's that way, don't trip on the stairs, love." he replied, smirking. She flushed and rolled her eyes. She didn't react when he snaked an arm around her waist. Well, no reaction other than her heart started racing. She knew he was still smirking, but didn't comment.

"Really, Lex, you look stunning." he told her seriously. She simply nodded.

"Care to dance?" Kol asked, already steering her to the couples dancing, Elena and Caroline among them with Klaus and Elijah.

"I'd love to." Alex replied, letting him lead her.

Dancing with Kol was fun and enjoyable. While they danced, he told her about how a few centuries ago waltzing had been considered righteous and improper. He danced it as if it really were.

"It's rather amusing, really, how now it's considered graceful and elegant." he finished, shaking his head.

"I agree. Either it's trashy or classy. Can't be both." she said, smiling. He chuckled and spun her around, then pulled her close. He leaned his forehead on hers, staring deep into her eyes. She got lost in his gaze, then pulled away from him, heading away from him and all of the other people. Glancing around, she saw that everything was going as planned.

Elijah and Elena were engaged in a conversation, laughing. Caroline was talking to Klaus, and he was watching her, completely taken by her. Stefan was talking to Rebekah, smiling, and Damon was stopped, talking to Liz and Carol. Kol was beside her again, watching her.

"As much as I appreciate the attention, why are you really talking to me?"

She tried to play innocent, but he wasn't buying it.

"Trying to find out where your brother is? Unfortunately, I haven't a clue. And if I did, he would be dead by now." he said, smiling pleasantly. Alex just walked away from him, a little hurt.

She knew it wasn't really fair to him either. She had been acting like she was truly interested in him. But all she had done was try to get information. On her way outside, she bumped into Rebekah.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Alex said quickly.

"Hello, Alexandria." Rebekah said, nodding once. They had never actually met, so it was a little surprising.

"How do you know who I am?"

"A good queen always knows her subjects." she said knowingly. "Besides, Kol fancies you. I'd definitely know a girl that he fancies." Alex raised an eyebrow.

"No, he doesn't. But thank you. Excuse me. Sorry, I have to go make a call." she said, walking away. She could feel Rebekah watching her leave, but didn't turn. She went outside, arms crossed. What Kol had said was completely uncalled for. She knew he didn't care for hybrids, or werewolves, but it was still rude. She toyed with her necklace, looking around.

"Lex." he said quietly.

"Go away, Kol. I hate you. Just go." she said, not turning. He laughed at that, causing her to look at him.

"You know, it's funny how you've been playing me. Acting like you like me one minute, then the next ignoring me completely. I have been going through complete madness these past few days, thinking about you. And I was starting to think you might return my sentiments. Foolish of me." Kol said, shaking his head and turning around.

Alex stared after him for a few moments before going after him. She tapped him on the shoulder, waiting. He turned, clearly irritated. Alex acted on pure impulse just then.

She kissed him.

It wasn't a small, barely there kiss. It was a real kiss. Before she had processed her actions, she was already so consumed it didn't matter. He froze, standing still for a few seconds, then kissing her back. She didn't know what was going on, why she had kissed him. Or maybe she did. She had been scared to admit her feelings.

In truth, she had very strong feelings for him, even though they had only known each other for a short time. But sometimes length of acquaintance didn't matter.

Alex broke away, biting her lip. Kol stared at her, clearly not sure what to say. He looked surprised.

"Well, that was fun, Lex. Let me know when you actually mean it." he said, brushing past her.

"I do mean it." she said, watching him go. He stopped and turned, looking at her. Really looking. His face was open for the first time. He opened his mouth to say something when Elijah came over to them.

"Kol, Niklaus wishes to have a word with you." he said, glancing over at Alexandria before meeting his brother's gaze. Kol looked frustrated. He appeared to be close to protesting, but sighed, nodding. He looked at Alex one last time before following his older brother.

She scowled, watching them go.

Just then, her phone buzzed. A new text. She frowned when seeing the number was unknown, but opened the message anyway. What she read made her blood run cold.

_Did you know that the queen is the most powerful piece on the board, not the king?_

She stared for a minute, her green eyes finding Rebekah in the crowded room.

_A good queen always knows her subjects._

* * *

**Author's note: So, obviously, this is a very special chapter. I hope you liked it. I was almost going to make you guys wait until chapter ten, but I decided to give you a treat. You like? Anyway, the next chapter will take a while to upload. Unless Love Bites gets 56 reviews. Then it'll be up. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! Leave your thoughts and comments in your review! :)**

**By the way, 50 reviews. That's how many there are right now. 50. Thank you so much. I love you all!**

**(As a sidenote, I've created what I hope to be a mini-series called Love Bites: Desire. So, check it out?)**


	10. Ball, Part II

Alex was standing just inside, her eyes trained on Kol. Every now and again he would meet her gaze and try to excuse himself from his brother's company, but then Klaus would hold him back and he would have to stand there looking agitated.

"Frustrated?" Elijah asked, coming to stand beside her.

"Just a tad." she replied, glaring at him. He chuckled.

"My brother only requested that I bring Kol to him."

"Whatever you say, 'Lijah." she muttered.

"Alexandria, I must ask you something. Have you fallen victim to my brother's games, or am I just mistaken?" he asked, concern in his tone. She colored slightly.

"Games?" Elijah sighed deeply.

"I worry for you. Kol will say anything to get what he wants. Proclamations of love mean nothing from him. I am simple looking out for you. He'll shatter you completely, Alex. And he won't think twice about it. Do not be fooled by him. It's not impossible for him to care, but it is quite unlikely." Alex swallowed and nodded.

"I know. Thank you, Elijah. If you hadn't said something, I would be in danger of falling. Thankfully, you reminded me of Kol's true character." she said, smiling slightly. Elijah shrugged.

"To him, women are merely pawns. Not very important pieces, easy to capture." he said, nodding to her and walking away. Alex felt like a stone had been dropped into her stomach.

Could it possibly be Elijah, not Rebekah?

**XXXX**

Caroline was almost enjoying herself with Klaus. He had left her to talk to Kol. Deciding it wouldn't hurt anyone, she started to listen in.

Just listen to me, Kol. The next move is to take out the rook."

Kol snorted. "No, the next is the first pawn. Simple as that."

Caroline frowned and pulled out her phone, texting Alex.

_Rook and pawn. Aren't those chess pieces?_

Looking up, she saw Alex frown from across the room.

_Yeah…Why?_

_Klaus and Kol are talking about them._

_We have to leave. Now._

Caroline sent a quick text to the others and made her way to the door quickly.

**XXXX**

Alex was deeply disturbed. Now Rebekah didn't seem so likely. She was about to follow Caroline outside when a hand grabbed her arm.

"Lex?" he asked, his achingly beautiful voice curious. She shook herself, convinced she was imagining the concern in his tone. Elijah was right. Kol didn't care.

"My name is Alexandria. Now let me go." He did that and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, this is a game changer. What have I done now?"

"You've been you. Relentlessly trying to make me fall for you. But guess what? I'm done. It's over. You've failed. Accept that and move on."

"Care to explain why you kissed me then?" Alex just looked at him.

"I felt bad for you. Then I realized none of it was real anyhow." Kol growled, glaring at her.

"You are obviously far more stupid than I thought." was all he said. He then stalked off. Alex blinked back the tears that threatened to give away her hurt and started walking again.

She tried to conceal her emotions and just barely succeeded.

* * *

**So...You lot probably aren't so pleased with me. BUT BLAME ELIJAH! HE'S THE ONE THAT HAD TO RUIN IT ALL! Anyway, I know this chapter is short, but I'll have more up tomorrow at some point. Here's the thing: I don't write all of this in my computer. I write it on notebook paper, so it takes me a while to update. And things are really hectic right now. So, please don't get upset if it takes me a long time to update. I have things to do, but I'm trying my hardest to make sure there's more for you whenever I can. **

**So, on another note, I'm trying to grow Milly's head the size of a giant pumpkin. So, in the sequel to Love Bites(yes, there is a sequel!), Elijah has a girly friend named Milly. How big is your head now, Mills? :D**


	11. Jealousy

_Somebody get me through this nightmare_

_I can't control myself_

-Three Days Grace, Animal I Have Become

* * *

**Week 3. Day 22.**

Nearly a week later, Alex sat on the floor in her room, writing in a notebook. Some heavy metal band she had found on the internet was blaring from her iPod dock. Bobbing her head in time to the music, she continued scribbling.

Her door opened, and Carol poked her head in.

"Any progress?" Alex shook her head.

"Nope."

"Well, I brought you some lunch. You haven't eaten in almost three days." Carol said, putting a brown paper bag with grease stains on her desk, then walking out the door and closing it behind her.

Alex ignored the bag and kept writing.

To the untrained eye, it would look like an incorrect algebraic expression. But to someone who knew what the current situation was, it would be obvious.

She was playing chess with herself.

"E to F4, C to D3." she murmured, frowning.

Sighing, she put the notebook down and went to her computer.

She had a new email. From Tyler.

Not even thinking, she eagerly opened it.

_You're down a pawn._

Alex froze. Slowly, she turned to her bedside table.

A single pawn was missing.

Scrambling to her bed, she hit speed dial number three. Caroline. To her horror, the line was disconnected.

With shaking hands, Alexandria dialed Damon's number.

"Caroline's phone is disconnected." she said the second he answered.

"And I haven't seen her since yesterday." Damon said with a deep sigh. "Okay, stay home and don't tell anyone just yet. I'll go check things out."

Alex hung up and looked around the room. It was usually cluttered, but now it was as clean as a monk's quarters.

She spotted the bag that Carol had left and went over to it. Inside was a veggie wrap and an order of fries from the Grill. She forced herself to eat, but it was tasteless, hard to swallow. Disobeying Damon's order to stay home, the girl went to the Grill.

**XXXX**

She nearly walked out when she saw Kol. Her stomach twisted into several knots when she noticed the trampy blonde on his lap, cooing things to him in a low voice. He murmured something back in reply, kissing her lightly. Alex looked away sharply and took herself to a table by the window.

"Hey, Alex. Didn't know you were stopping by today." Matt said, sitting in the chair across from hers.

"Hey, Matty. Yeah, it was a spur of the moment thing. You on your break?" Matt nodded, playing with a packet of sugar.

"Didn't Damon tell you to stay home?" he asked, and she realized Damon must have called ahead.

"So, he told you?"

"Yeah. No pressure, Alex, but you really need to figure this out." Alexandria sighed, feeling like an old woman.

"I know. But it would be a whole lot easier if someone would help me instead of everyone just expecting me to get the answer." she said, her words coming out sharper than intended.

"Right…." Matt said awkwardly.

Alex couldn't help but glance over at Kol.

The blonde was still on his lap, squeezing his arm and giggling. He chuckled and kissed her nose, then said something. The witch's fists clenched and her jaw tightened, but she wasn't aware of it.

Now she wasn't even really paying attention. Her mind was on hyper drive.

There was only one person who knew the Originals. Only one person who would know their strategies.

"Alex?" she heard Matt say, as if from a distance. Ignoring him, she pulled out her phone and texted a number she had hoped to never use.

_I need your help._

Less than a minute later, her phone buzzed.

_I've been waiting for you to cal. What do you need?_

_Information. You'll be paid for your help, I promise._

_Information on…?_

_The Originals._

**XXXX**

Kol stole a look over at Alex and bit back a low growl when he saw her with Mutt. He looked back to the blonde staring adoringly at him and pushed her off of his lap.

"Well, Natasha, this was fun, but you're starting to bore me."

"Natalie."

"Right. Goodbye, Naomi." he said, smiling pleasantly and striding off. He walked home quickly, just wanting to be alone. He didn't understand the feeling he got when he saw her with him. He didn't own her. She wasn't his, regardless of how much he wished she was.

He knew he had deeply insulted her. He knew it was wrong to patronize her so, especially with her brother missing. He knew that he didn't deserve to want her, didn't deserve to long to be with her.

Sadly enough, he did.

But it wasn't like she was entirely innocent.

She had played him. Acted like she cared. She had kissed him. Then she had pulled away.

Kol shook his head, trying to clear it, and nearly stepped on Elena. She was sitting on the bottom step of the grand manor, but got up as soon as she saw him.

"May I help you?" he asked, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, Kol. You can."

"How so?" he replied, sitting on a step. He had a feeling this would take a while. She sat down as well.

"Alex is really falling for you." Elena began, holding up a hand to keep him from interrupting. "And I know that's what you want. I also know that you could easily destroy her. Shatter her. But the thing is, she won't take that. She'll get back up and break you. She's falling hard, Kol. Now, you can catch her, or you can let her fall. Personally, I'd like to say that you wouldn't let her fall in the first place. But it's way too late. I'm not your biggest fan, obviously. I want you dead. You've given me every reason to hate you. But even a fool could see the chemistry between you two. So just be careful. For her sake as well as yours."

* * *

**Hiiiii! So, I hope you like this! I'll have the next chapter up soon! XXXX**

**By the way...Here's a piece of original writing of mine...Tell me what you think?**

_"What we are is simple. We're basically hybrids. Half faerie, half vampire. Legend describes us as "more malicious than faeries and more dangerous than vampires." Is it true? For some of us, maybe." Nat said, looking out at the deep blue lake. I watched him, tilting my head to the side. His brown eyes met mine and we both looked away instantly, for some reason embarrassed._

_"But what are we called?" I persisted. He sighed and shrugged._

_"We go by many names. But I guess the most official is Dreamcatcher. Don't give me that look, Delta. I didn't make up the name. But it's pretty fitting if you think about it. Sure, we all have different powers, but the one power we all share is stealing dreams."_

_"Well, aren't we just awesome?" I muttered, rolling my eyes. I had always assumed that dreamcatchers were just those things you hung on your wall above your bed, not a species._

_Looking at Nat, I realized that there were some physical differences. His ears were slightly pointed, his teeth sharper than a normal person's. And his skin had the lightest green tint to it, barely noticeable._

_"Really, can you just not be sarcastic about this, Del? Sure, we're not normal, but normal is just a setting on the dryer." he said, leaning back. I nodded._

_"Sure…So, what are some common things with us?" I asked, really curious._

_"Improved eyesight, hearing, sense of smell, taste, we're a great deal stronger…Things like that." he replied, glancing over at me before back at the water._

_"And why am I so darn special? Who am I?" I wondered, not expecting an answer._

_"You are legend."_

__**Anyway...Leave your thoughts and comments in your review!**


	12. Catch Me

_I'm giving up,_

_So just catch me…_

-Demi Lovato, Catch Me

* * *

Week 3. Day 23.

Alex was back in her room, typing. Now everyone knew Caroline was gone. But they thought she had simply left town to go with Tyler.

Everyone was pressing her. It was like they thought she would magically pull the answer out of the air. Sighing, she looked at her computer screen.

_Klaus - Impulse? Caroline ideal. Tyler? No motive-unless counting broken sire bond._

_Elijah - Simply no motive present. Pending._

_Kol - Rashness? Smaller version of Klaus. Motive? To annoy? Seems a bit far…_

_Rebekah - Fear? Care could come between her and her bother. Tyler first hybrid….Conflict?_

She looked over her notes and sighed. Alex closed the laptop and got up.

**XXXX**

Walking into the Grill, she saw Kol sitting at the bar once more, but alone. Alex wanted to go over to him, but instead sat at a back table. She started picking at a napkin, bored. The girl felt a glimmer of surprise when he sat across from her.

"We need to talk." Kol stated quietly.

"Do we?"

"Yes, Lex. We do."

"No. Okay? No. I can't deal with this. Elijah was right, everyone was right. So just stop." she said, getting up and going outside. He followed her, much to her annoyance.

"What does Elijah have to do with this?" he demanded.

"All you want is to break me. But I am already so close to breaking, Kol. I'm right on the edge, and the smallest thing could send me over. I don't know that I can come back from that." she whispered, tears in her eyes. "I literally _cannot_ deal with losing someone else. I can't do it. I just can't. Everyone expects me to have the answer, but I don't! Who's to say that if I figure it out, whoever this is doesn't kill Care and Tyler? But if I don't figure it out, they can go along taking people. I can't win! I can't do it….I'm going over the edge." He stepped closer to her until he was holding her face.

"I'm going to catch you." he murmured just before kissing her. It was a gentle kiss. Sweet and slow.

An emotion his Alex so hard it nearly knocked her off her feet. She was finally letting it all go. There was no resistance or hesitance in this moment. She wrapped her arms around his neck and the kiss deepened. His arms snaked around her waist and they broke apart, staring at each other.

Finally, Alex broke the silence.

"So, what does this mean….For us?" she asked, a little scared of the answer.

"Well, before I answer that, I'd like to make something clear. I am not going to change for you. This is who I've been for a thousand years, and who I will be for a thousand years to come." Kol said seriously. She nodded.

"But that's the thing. I don't feel this way about you because you were someone else. I know you're an arrogant, narcissistic asshole. I know you have a temper. And that's okay." she said, kissing him lightly. The simple kiss soon turned into a passionate embrace, their arms wrapped around each other tightly.

"Well, isn't this just adorable?" a voice said from behind them.

* * *

**Yep. Okay. So. Here it is!**


	13. Katherine

_Hey, Miss Murder, can I?_

_Hey, Miss Murder, can I?_

_To make beauty stay,_

_Take my life?_

- AFI, Miss Murder

* * *

They broke away and turned, only to see Katherine leaning against the window of the Grill. Alex stepped away from Kol and looked at her, guarded. They had never had the greatest experiences; Katherine had nearly killed Alex twice.

"You came. I can honestly say I didn't think you would."

The vampire lifted a single shoulder.

"It's not like this is entirely selfless, Alex. You know that." she replied, gaze flickering from the witch to the Mikaelson.

"Maybe there's somewhere more private we can talk?"

Alex nodded and looked back at Kol, who didn't look pleased.

"I'll see you later?" He nodded and kissed her forehead before stalking away.

She frowned and watched him.

"Come on, Alex. You can daydream later."

**XXXX**

Fifteen minutes later, Katherine and Alex were sitting in her bedroom.

"So, you and Kol, huh?" Katherine asked, looking around the room.

"Can we not talk about that, please?" Alex replied, sitting on her bed. Katherine picked up a green notebook and flipped through it.

"Sure. Let's talk about Klaus instead," she said, finding nothing noteworthy in the book and throwing it aside. The doppelganger pulled up a chair and looked at her.

"From what you've told me, he _is _the most likely. The chess thing seems iffy though. Someone might be working with him. Have you ruled out Elijah completely? I know, he's honorable, but there might be some unknown reason." Alex bit her lip, nodding.

"I've really been thinking about Elijah. And I'm honestly not sure. I mean, Elijah just doesn't seem to have a motive. But at the same time, that could be an advantage. Klaus, however, is the alpha male. I doubt he would admit that something-much less a female- is more powerful than him."

"That's the part I don't get. Rebekah is definitely someone to keep in mind." They sat in silence for a while, before Katherine broke it.

"I think I might have something on Caroline and Tyler." Alex looked up quickly, hope flaring in her green eyes like a fire.

"What?" she demanded. Katherine smirked.

"Well, now. What do I get for telling you?"

"What do you want, Katherine?" Alex asked with a sigh.

"I want you to guarantee my safety during all of this. Meaning that you will not tell Klaus I'm here. Kol might, but you have to deny it all."

Alex didn't even blink. "Deal."

"I need something to ensure you'll keep your word. Perhaps your necklace?"

The witch deliberated, then grudgingly unclasped the necklace and gave it to Katherine.

"Good. But I'm a little tired. Maybe I'll just take a quick nap…" the vampire said, faking a yawn.

"For Christ's sake, Katherine! Just tell me already!" She chuckled.

"Okay, okay. I heard from a friend of mine that someone got a hotel room in Denver under the name Mikaelson. The occupants? A pretty blonde and a boy. Both in their teens."

Alexandria stared at her, slightly shocked.

"You have a friend?" she asked, dubious. Katherine rolled her eyes.

"Ha ha, very funny."

"No. I'm serious. A legit friend that wouldn't lie to you?"

"Yes. Don't ask me why or how. I turned her in the twenties somewhere in Detroit. Now she follows me around like a faithful little puppy, doing whatever I want." she replied, smirking again.

Alex was about to answer when she noticed a piece of paper on her pillow. Katherine followed her gaze and moved over to it, picking it up before the other could move. The vampire unfolded it and frowned.

"'You keep losing pawns. You should take better care of them.'" she read, looking up at Alex.

She snatched the paper from her and scowled. It was typed out. She grabbed her phone, uneasy. Somehow, this person was getting into her room.

"Let me." Katherine said, taking the phone from her and going through her contacts. After five calls, she sighed.

"Elena is disconnected!" she announced. Alex groaned and flopped back on the bed.

"Still doubt this is Klaus?"

"Shut up, Katherine."

* * *

**Hope you liked it! XOXOX**

**Chapter 14 is going to take a while to upload, so be patient! **


	14. Nightmare

Bonnie was very bored. She was just sitting in her room, all alone. She had just got off the phone with Alex, and she was worried. Elena was missing too. Klaus _had _to be the one who was taking everyone.

Caroline, his obsession. Tyler, his first hybrid. Elena, his doppelganger.

It all made sense. She didn't care that Alex wasn't positive that it was him. She knew it had to be him.

The Bennett witch was mad. Very mad. She was going to give Klaus a piece of her mind, whether he liked it or not. Of course, she wasn't going to be stupid and attack him directly. She would try to negotiate at first.

Getting up off of her bed, she grabbed her car keys and headed outside.

While driving, she noticed how empty Mystic Falls seemed. Like she was the only living soul in town. Everything seemed grey, cold. She slammed on the brakes when a small black shape came flying at her window, then relaxed when she realized it was only a crow.

"Just a crow. Just a crow." she muttered, her heart still pounding.

Finally, she got to the Mikaelson manor and got out, frowning. The house seemed empty as well, even more empty than Mystic Falls.

Cautiously, she went to the front door. Bonnie's fingers brushed the handle lightly and the door swung open with a creak. What her green eyes saw was enough to make her gasp in surprise.

All of the furniture, the paintings, the rugs, everything was gone. Like they had abandoned it.

Slowly, she stepped inside and looked around. There was no sign of life.

She walked around the house, trying to sense them.

Nothing.

She didn't feel truly terrified until she got to the ballroom.

There was a white oak tree in the center, branches bare and roots creeping all around the room. At the base of the tree were three open coffins.

Going over to the first one, she saw Elijah with spidery veins all on his face, neck, and hands. But there was no dagger or stake in his chest. His nice black suit, she noted, was covered in ash, most likely from a fire.

Looking to the next, she saw a similar picture with Rebekah. She was grey. Cold. Unmoving and lifeless. She too had ash on her clothing and sprinkled in her hair.

In the final one, she found Kol. Undoubtedly dead. Like his siblings, he looked peaceful. He could have been sleeping if it wasn't for the colorless pallor of his skin and the veins sticking out. It wasn't surprising to see that he was dusted with ash.

Bonnie then noticed another coffin, far more grand than the others, on the other side of the tree. It was at an awkward angle, and closed.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped over the roots and touched the coffin. It was ice cold. Heart pounding, she slowly opened it.

This coffin contained Klaus. Though Bonnie had always wanted to see him dead, the sight of him possibly dead was unnerving.

Unlike his siblings, who looked peaceful in death, Klaus looked like he had gone through immense pain, suffering. His layer of ash was far heavier, but she could still see the veins popping out of his skin.

Without a warning, the four coffins suddenly burst into flames. Bonnie sprang back, her back against the tree. Then the tree caught on fire. Bonnie shrieked in surprise as she fled to the wall, away from the fire.

The coffins weren't on fire, the bodies inside were. She watched in horror as the flames licked their way up the tree. She felt an odd bemusement as the ash fell down, raining into the caskets below the branches. She let out a sharp scream of pure terror as the roots started to burn, the flames speeding toward her.

Bonnie shot up from bed, heart pounding and breathing hard. She realized there were tears in her eyes and wiped them away furiously. She was shaken from her dream.

All of the Originals….Dead.

With shaking hands, she dialed Alex's number.

**XXXX**

"I still don't understand. All four, dead? No stake or dagger?" Alex asked, furrowing her brows.

"No stake, no dagger. All four."

"And they just went up in flames?" Stefan called from the window. Bonnie nodded.

"Just like that." Damon, who was leaning against the wall, shook his head.

"I don't understand at all. So the Originals died. That's what we all want." he said, shaking his head. Alex rolled her eyes.

"All of the Originals died. With a white oak tree…." she murmured. Bonnie frowned and watched her.

"All of the Originals. Dead." Alex repeated. Then she sat up straight, her eyes wide. "The four Originals were dead. Oh my god! I am so stupid! Why didn't I think of this before!" she yelled, smacking her forehead.

"What?" Stefan demanded, going over to Alex and sitting in front of her. Making her focus on him. Alex was the kind of person who couldn't be excited like that.

"Oh my god. We are all screwed." Alex whispered, squeezing her eyes shut. Usually, her anxiety was under control. But no one could blame her now.

"Alex. Alex, look at me. Look at me. We're okay. Just talk to me." Stefan said in a soothing voice. Alex slowly opened her eyes and stared at Stefan, shaking slightly.

"Just talk to me. Breathe. Come on. Breathe." he ordered softly. She nodded and took a few deep, gulping breaths before speaking again.

"I know who's taking everyone. And why they're doing it the way they are." she said in a soft, shaking voice.

* * *

**I was seriously creeped out writing this. Just saying.**

**Anyway, yeah, Alex has an anxiety/panic disorder. But with all the crap going on in Mystic Falls, can you blame her?**

**Bet the kidnapper is obvious now. Don't worry! In the next chapter, if you can't figure it out, they'll say who it is!**


	15. Kidnappers and Bedbugs

**Warning: This is a_ slightly_ smutty chapter. Just saying. Not very much, but a tad. **

* * *

"Well? Who is it, Alex?" Damon demanded. Stefan shot him a glare as she shook her head, taking gulping breaths.

Her brief attack was over as quickly as it started. Shaking her head, Alex looked up.

"Esther." she announced, looking around.

"It makes sense...She wants the Originals dead..." Bonnie murmured.

"Klaus would want to find Caroline, or at least Elena. So would Elijah. Kol would try for Tyler since he and Alex-" Damon broke off at the Welsh girl's glare. "So, that just leaves Rebekah."

"No, that just leaves Matt." Stefan corrected.

Alexandria shook her head and got up, grabbing her keys. Without a word, she ran out to her car, leaving everyone staring after her in confusion.

**XXXX**

Alex pulled up to the Mikaelson manor and scrambled out of her car, running up the steps to the door. She knocked on that door repeatedly until it opened.

A rumpled, damp, barefoot and absolutely beautiful Kol answered, looking mildly irritated. His hair was wet and his jeans were unbuttoned; clearly he had just gotten out of the shower. He also didn't have a shirt on, which was not helping her focus.

He raised an eyebrow, waiting.

"Nice boxers." she remarked, stepping closer to her and flicking a finger over the button. He smirked and started walking backward, taking her hand and pulling her inside.

"You enjoy it." he told her, still smirking.

"Was there any reason for you coming over than other than to stare at my flawless body?" Kol asked, causing her to look up from his muscular chest to his amused brown eyes.

"Just to check on you. Your mother is having fun snatching people up, and...I was worried." Alex admitted. His eyes widened fractionally before his expression melted back into that playful smirk.

"Oh really?" he murmured, pulling her closer and resting his hands lightly on her waist. She nodded, keeping her arms at her sides.

"It's actually very serious, Kol. She's trying to draw all of you out-"

"Which won't happen." he interrupted, looking at her. "I had a feeling this might be Esther. We know how to handle it, Lex." he said softly. "Please, just relax, darling. There's nothing you can do right now. Soon there will be, but not right now." Kol said, pulling her even closer. Alex let him tug her nearer to him until their bodies were pressed together, but turned her face away when he tried to kiss her.

"Lex?"

"I'm scared, Kol. And I just don't know where we are." she said, looking back at him. He reached up and touched her face gently.

"I'll keep you safe, Lex. I promise. Crazy as it sounds, I want to be with you. It's actually sort of a big deal for me." he said, his voice surprisingly soft and gentle. His face was open; it seemed like he was begging her to understand. He had never looked so young or so vulnerable.

"But I suppose the question is whether or not you want to be with me." he said with a sigh, his face becoming closed off.

Instead of replying, Alex kissed him forcefully, her arms coming up to wrap around his neck. Kol was startled, but still kissed her back, his eagerness soon becoming obvious.

The kiss soon became heated, his hands wandering from where they had rested politely on her waist. Suddenly she was pressed against a wall, and they were both instantly reminded of the afternoon he had fed from her.

But this was different. So much different.

Before either of them really processed what was happening, he had lifted her up so her legs could wrap around his hips and his kisses moved from her lips to her jaw, from her jaw to her neck. He bit her neck lightly and was rewarded with a small shiver.

Kol was suddenly hit with a wave of nervousness. He hadn't felt this anxious with a woman since...Ever. He shouldn't feel this anxious. He was _Kol Mikaelson, _for crying out loud. If someone was going to be nervous, it should be _her. _And she was, obviously. But, for the first time in a thousand years, Kol didn't want to just take her to his bed and be done with it. He wanted her. Just to be with her. To call her his.

It made him wince internally, but it was true.

During his thinking, they had found their way to his bedroom, and from there his bed. Her heart was racing so fast that for a moment he worried for her health.

Until she started grabbing at his jeans, pulling them down. Her hands were shaking, but it was clear what she wanted. He was more than happy to give it to her, really. She lifted her arms up and he quickly rid her of her shirt, then, after kissing her lightly, just gazed down at her.

She really _was _beautiful. Her hair was in curly tangles, surrounding her face. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were bright, fire burning in their green depths. Her chest was heaving, more from excitement than anything else.

He couldn't help but let his eyes wander from her face. He had to guess a C, possibly a small D. He really appreciated the black lace; lingerie designers this century really didn't leave much to the imagination. If there was one thing he hated most about the nineteenth century, it was women's undergarments. It was really a big hassle. But now, a simple snap of the fingers in the right place of a slight pull and he was satisfied.

Slowly, a playful smirk casting on his features, he leaned down and kissed one of her breasts softly, keeping his eyes locked on hers. She tensed under him and it hit him.

She was a virgin.

Well, it would certainly give him the opportunity to mold her style to his, to they would be better fitted. Not that he usually bothered with virgins.

He raised an eyebrow, silently asking her what she wanted. She gave a small nod and the smirk appeared again.

"Only if you're sure..." he murmured, kissing the spot where her heart beat.

"I'm sure. I want this. I want _you."_ she replied softly, her heart hammering against her rib cage.

"You can have me." he told her.

**XXXX**

Later, they laid in his bed, watching each other. Alex had the black comforter drawn tightly to her body, while Kol simply threw it over his hips carelessly.

He couldn't help the desire he had to just hold her. It was unfamiliar to him. He _never _stayed in bed with a woman. He just left. 'Snuggling' was uncharted territory, a land he never dared to enter.

Hesitantly, he shifted closer to her and wrapped his arms around her, enjoying the way her heart jumped. She responded immediately, nestling herself in his chest. He looked down at her in slight wonder, noting how good she felt in his arms, how perfectly she seemed to fit. Alex tilted her head up and smiled at him. Kol smiled back, but it was edged with worry.

"Lex, I honestly didn't mean...God, I wanted to do this right." he muttered, closing his eyes.

"Shush." she whispered. "It's okay. After all, it's a team effort. Besides..." she added in a thoughtful tone that made him open his eyes to stare at her questioningly, "For a little while, I forgot about the real world."

"This _is _the real world. As hard as it is to believe. I'm not going to leave you, Lex. I promise." he said softly, surprising the both of them. She smiled, however, and he saw just how happy that made her. Part of him was angry he had made a promise like that, that he had made a promise at all, but the other part was simply glad to make her happy.

**XXXX**

"I've decided that you shall no longer wear clothes in my presence." Kol announced as Alex slipped on her sweater. "And I in yours."

She rolled her eyes at him and pulled her hair up.

"Well, see, that just won't do, simply because I shall rarely wear clothes." she replied, laying back down next to him.

"That's sort of the point, darling." he said with a chuckle, kissing her temple.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before she took a deep breath and looked up at him.

"I really...Didn't come here for...that...I only wanted to make sure you were okay, but then..." she trailed off and bit her lip. He smiled and nodded.

"I know." he said simply.

After a few more minutes, possibly ten, of silence, he had a few questions.

"What did Katherine want the other day?" She bit her lip.

"Just to talk. I called her here. She had information on Caroline and Tyler." she said after a while.

"And information on us." he added quietly. Alexandria sighed.

"Yes, she did. But not everything is about you, Kol." she said, her words coming out more sharp than intended. She moved to get up, but he held her there.

"Oh, no you don't. You can't just push me away, Lex." Kol said, looking down at her with a frown. "Don't. Please. I know that things aren't great right now, but pushing me away isn't the answer. Let me help you." There was a plea in his voice that stood out, making her look up at him. She shifted so she was on her stomach and continued to look at him.

"Fine." she said before kissing him softly. "I'm sorry." she whispered against his lips.

He really didn't know how to feel about the gymnastics routine his stomach did when he touched her, or was even around her. Part of him did not like it the slightest. He was _Kol Mikaelson. _Kol Mikaelson did not love. But he did. So much.

That alone filled him with wonder and terror.

* * *

**It's not a great chapter. Sorry guys. I'm just feeling really sick and stuff, but I wanted to update today since it's my birthday, and I feel nice on my birthday. :)**

**Anyway, I think I might have said at some point I would have the rest of Love Bites uploaded when I got back, but I came back way before I thought I would. I should at least have chapter 16 up next time I come around.**

**Since there are only three-possibly four, depending on how much I can squeeze into one chapter- chapters left, I need to start considering names for the sequel.**

**So far, all I have is Versus, which doesn't make a lot of sense. Unless you know what happens to Alex, that is. But even then... Okay, so, I really need suggestions for the name, otherwise you could be waiting for three months after Love Bites is done for a sequel. (Which wouldn't be good considering I know where I'm going to leave it off, and it's a major cliffhanger.) So, give me some suggestions? **

**I was also thinking Love and Other Things, but how the fudge would that work? **

**So, leave suggestions and thoughts in your review, or even message me, if you like!**

**Also, read Milly's (Stunsail) new fic All Things Considered.(I came up with that name, fyi. :D) It's really good, and Kol-based. You know I'm loving that. **

**Okay, since this author's note is taking up a quarter of the chapter, I leave you with this: Review! Leave me title suggestions please! XOXOXOX**


	16. Ashes

_Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight_

_Just a touch of the fire burning so bright_

_I don't wanna mess this thing up,_

_I don't wanna push too far_

-Lady Antebellum, Just a Kiss

* * *

Kol knocked on Elijah's door and waited. After a few moments the door opened.

"Kol?"

"I need to talk to you. I've had an idea."

"Were you expecting congratulations?" Elijah asked, raising an eyebrow. Kol scowled.

"I'm serious, Elijah. I may know how we can get the others back safe and sound without all of us dying." Elijah frowned and moved aside to let him in.

"What were you thinking?" he asked as he closed the door.

**XXXX**

Alex knocked on the front door, feeling nervous. There was no answer after a few minutes so she knocked again. Soon she could hear footsteps, then Alaric opened the door.

"Alex? What are you doing here?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. He had clearly been asleep. Alex took a deep breath.

"I need your help." she said, wringing her hands. He frowned and moved aside, letting her in.

"What's wrong?" he asked once she sat down in the living room. She sighed.

"Well, I've just been thinking. Someone has to be working with Esther. I mean, how else could she be taking everyone? And it would have to be a vampire to be able to take them. Caroline and Tyler are strong, and Elena's been working with you. So, then I realized that there were two people who had access to all three houses. Two vampires no one would hesitate to let in." She paused and looked at Alaric. His face had turned grim.

"Stefan and Damon." he said, nodding. "Okay. Well, how do we find out if they're working with her? If they are, they're not just going to tell us." he pointed out. She nodded and took a piece of paper out of her bag.

"I know. But there's a spell that can tell us if they are." she told him, also getting out two plastic sandwich bags; one with black hair, the other with brown. "I came to you because I thought you might be able to help..." she trailed off, looking up at him.

Alaric sighed. "And you also want to make sure that my dark side isn't doing this." Alex nodded sheepishly.

"We can't be too sure..." she said. He nodded.

"What do you need?"

"Just a bowl you don't mind getting burnt a little. Oh, and a few matches. Where's Jeremy?" she asked as he went to the kitchen.

"Upstairs, asleep." Alaric answered as he came back with a black bowl and a box of matches.

"Hopefully this won't wake him up." she muttered, unfolding the piece of paper.

"What are you doing?" Alaric asked, frowning as he sat across from her. Alex didn't look up.

"It's a simple spell. I burn the hair, and if the ashes are white or gray, then they're in the clear. If the ashes are black..." she trailed off.

"Can you do me first?" She looked up and frowned.

"A regrettable choice of words." she muttered. He shook his head.

"I'm serious, Alex. I need to know that this isn't me. Because if it is..." He looked up at her as he finished speaking, and she could see the desperation in his eyes.

"Fine. I need some of your hair." she said, holding her hand out. He picked up the scissors on the coffee table and cut off a piece of his hair, then handed it to her.

"Are your smoke alarms working?" she asked. He shook his head.

"I was in the middle of changing the batteries last night and forgot."

"Good." Alex said, dropping the hair into the bowl. She looked down at the piece of paper and read the words out loud as she lit the match. She knew to anyone else, the writing looked like gibberish, but to her it made perfect sense. Her voice became slightly monotone as she, for lack of a better word, chanted.

_Show me the truth. _the voices whispered in her head, translating her words. _Show me the trusted, show me the deceitful. Show me the lies. Show me the unseen truths._

She dropped the match in the bowl and the flame consumed the little tuft of hair quickly. It died away just as quickly, and all that was left was white ash.

"Well, at least we know it's not you." she said before emptying the bowl out on the carpet.

"Hey. I just vacuumed." Alaric said reproachfully.

"I'll clean it up later." she said before opening the bag with Damon's hair in it. It was silky, soft to the touch. She had had to go through a lot of work to get this hair. Eventually she had used Elena as an excuse, saying it would help find her. It wasn't too far from the truth.

She repeated the process she had used for Alaric, and wasn't too surprised to see the ashes white. She wordlessly dumped the ashes out and took Stefan's hair out, which was fluffy and had little bits of hair gel crusted to it.

She did the spell again, but, unlike the two before, the flames didn't die out immediately. They burned for almost five minutes before finally stopping.

"Alex..." Alaric said, frowning.

"I know." she said.

The ashes were black.

**XXXX**

Stefan got out of his car and frowned. Klaus had called Damon, telling him that he knew where Elena was. Stefan had become interested in the matter, since Elena was his girlfriend and all. Damon got out from the passenger side and slammed the door shut. The two brothers made their way to the front door, which was slightly open. Stefan frowned, but Damon continued on.

"Damon, wait-"

But, being Damon, he didn't listen and kept going. Stefan's frown deepened as they entered the silent house. It seemed almost empty...But not quite...Something was off...

Suddenly, he was pinned to the wall by his throat. Blinking and gasping for air, Stefan recognized Klaus.

"So, Stefan, I hear you're working for my mother." Klaus said conversationally.

He had been found out.

* * *

**Bet you weren't expecting THAT. Ahahahahah So...How was it? (PS, I'm keeping the author's note as the last chapter because you all reviewed it, which means you couldn't review this chapter, so yeah)**

**Anyway, there'll be more to this! In the next chapter Stefan's motives will be explained.**


	17. Flashbacks and Beatings

_You say it's too late to make it,_

_But is it too late to try?_

_-_Maroon 5, Payphone

* * *

Klaus sat on an uncovered chair in his study and sighed, his head overcrowded with scattered thoughts. Things weren't going the way he had planned. Everything had been so simple, so foolproof. He had been planning on killing Alexandria. It would set him back with Caroline, yes, but it would also destroy Kol. That was the whole point. It all went back to 1902...

**Manhattan, New York, 1902**

Klaus entered the rundown warehouse, all of his sense alert. The night before, one of his witches had brought him a message from his younger brother, telling him he wanted to meet. Klaus was a little surprised; he hadn't seen his brother in almost two hundred years. He was glad, though. He would never admit it, but he missed Kol's antics.

He hear something shuffle upstairs and turned to that direction, frowning slightly when he heard a heartbeat.

Only days ago he had learned that Katherine had had a daughter, and she had lived. Naturally, he was a tad paranoid. Kol was just as connected as he, if not more. But it wouldn't make any sense...

"Nik. I'm so pleased you could make it." Kol drawled from behind him. Klaus whipped around, almost scared. Kol was learning against a wall, his arms crossed. Klaus chuckled and relaxed, looking at his youngest brother.

Kol looked good. The last time he had seen Kol, his hair was longer, going almost past his chin. This time, it was cut shorter. The look suited him. He seemed healthy, and as proud and mischievous as ever.

"I must say, brother, this is quite the meeting place." Klaus remarked, raising an eyebrow as he looked around the room. Kol grinned and shrugged.

"It's perfect for what I have planned." he told him, pushing off the wall. Klaus frowned.

"And what might that be?" he asked, finally noticing the hat box by Kol's feet. Kol smirked and picked it up.

"Well, you see, the other day I heard the most interesting thing." he said, looking down at the box in his hands. "A girl named Elizabeth Petrova was on her way to North Carolina. And I thought to myself, 'What are the chances?'" Klaus felt cold dread as Kol went on. "Then I saw her. Not quite Tatiana's doppelganger, but close enough. I followed her, watched her. She has a daughter, you know. A pretty little thing, too, with quite a sharp tongue." he said, tossing the box to Klaus. After a few moments, he slowly took the lid off. The box fell out of his hands as he stared at the contents.

In the box laid Elizabeth Petrova's head, her dead eyes staring up at him.

"Kol...You didn't..." he whispered, looking up at him. Kol nodded, smirking wickedly.

"I did. And I'm going to do it again." he said, waving someone forward. Klaus turned to see a burly man coming to them, dragging a struggling sixteen year old girl.

"Kol..." Klaus growled in warning. Kol paid him not attention, going to the man.

"Now, this little bird was very fun." he purred, stroking her cheek. The girl tried to jerk away and he barked out a short, humorless laugh. "But the fun's over." With the last word, his eyes darkened and his teeth sharpened.

Klaus stood frozen in shock as Kol grinned at him wolfishly, then leaned down and pressed his lips to the girl's neck. She screamed and trashed against the man holding her as she tried to get away. Dark streams of red blood ran down her long neck, and the reek of that blood filled the entire room. Kol pulled away and ran his tongue over his teeth as her heart stopped and her body fell to the ground, no longer supported.

"Absolutely divine." Kol said, grinning again.

Klaus looked down at the floor. Later, he had learned that the girl Kol had drained hadn't even _known _Elizabeth. Elizabeth's _real _daughter had been in North Carolina.

He had told Elijah a completely different story, keeping him in the dark. Klaus was a little ashamed, but would never admit it. He had daggered Kol that day without question.

But Kol was hardly innocent. Klaus shook his head. Perhaps he had deserved that scare. After all, he was the reason Kol had left in the first place... No, he wouldn't think of that. Not now. Not with everything going on. His doppelganger, his hybrid, _and _his future girl were missing. His mother had taken them, and recruited his old friend as some sick joke.

Distantly, he could hear Stefan's cries of pain. Kol and Rebekah were taking turns 'having their way' with him. Klaus wince as he heard the dull thud of wood against flesh. Clearly, it was Kol's turn.

He could also hear Alex, Bonnie, and Elijah arguing with Alaric and Damon. They were trying to figure out what to do. At this point, Klaus wanted to rip their tongues out so they couldn't speak anymore. He didn't know where Jeremy was, and he didn't care. He just wanted Esther dead, no matter the cost.

**XXXX**

Alex rubbed her temples as Bonnie yelled at Damon. Elijah was next to her, looking just as exasperated. Alaric was looking out the window, trying to tune them out. All Alex was trying to tune out was Stefan. Rebekah and Kol had taken him to the ballroom over an hour ago, to 'reason' with him. Occasionally, there was a loud smack—Kol. He had gone in with what she suspected to be a duffel bag full of baseball bats—or the clang of chains. Rebekah was probably using the same cuffs she used on Damon.

Alex sighed and slipped out of the house, going outside. She sat down on the top step and stared at the ground. She wondered why Esther had chosen Stefan. And if there were others. She brushed the thought off. Of course there were others.

Another sigh escaped her lips as her gem green eyes traveled up to the sky. She barely noticed when someone sat down next to her. She expected it to be Kol, or maybe Damon, but was surprised to see Klaus. Without realizing it, she scooted away. Klaus chuckled.

"Relax, sweetheart. I'm not going to hurt you. Kol would have my head on a silver platter if I did." he said, causing her to frown a little.

"Why does that matter to you? And don't say it's because he's family, because we both know they don't matter to you as much as you claim they do." Klaus rolled his eyes.

"No wonder Kol likes you so much. You're rude." She reached over and punched his arm, forgetting momentarily that he was Klaus.

"Violent, too. We can probably expect a happy announcement by the end of the week."

"And you wonder why Caroline doesn't fall into your arms and let you carry her off into the sunset." she muttered. He frowned and she shrugged.

They were both silent for some time, thinking. She finally decided to say something.

"So...Sorry you're mom's trying to kill you." He snorted.

"Don't act like you care."

"Who says I don't?"

"Do you?"

She sighed. "Just because I don't like you doesn't mean I think Esther should kill you. But then..." she trailed off and he raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"I just seems like you have this thing."

"What thing?"

"This 'I don't always die. But when I do, I don't' thing." Alex said, looking over at him.

He laughed and shook his head.

"What? You do!" she said, defending herself.

"I suppose it comes in handy."

"Yeah, just when we think you're dead, you come back. _Handy._" she said, fighting the urge to roll her eyes.

Again, there was silence. They were both so quiet that Stefan's yells seemed much louder. Alex sighed and looked up at the sky again. Soon, she could hear the front door open and close. In the corner of her eye, she saw Klaus had left. She wondered why he had come out in the first place.

It didn't take long for her to realize that Stefan was quiet. Frowning, she got up and went back inside. Everyone was gathered in the main foyer.

"What happened?" she asked as she neared. Kol looked over at her, his dark eyes dancing.

"I think I deserve congratulations." he said, smirking. The others rolled their eyes and he frowned. "Hey,_ I'm_ the one who got the bloody idiot to talk."

* * *

**Okay, so, it's been forever since I've updated. Do I have any readers left? Also, I lied. Stefan's motives will be explained in the NEXT chapter.**

**You might be wondering why this flashback is important. Well, it'll come in handy later. Also, I felt the need to explain why Kol was daggered. Of course, when they actually DO explain why, it's gonna be a mess, but oh well. You might be thinking, "Why would Kol do that?" Easy. He was bored and pissed at Klaus-reasons for that will be explained later.**

**Also, you have to admit, Klaus DOES have that thing. He doesn't always die, but when he does, he doesn't. (Thankfully!)**


	18. Shower

_Looking up from underneath,_

_Fractured moonlight on the sea_

_Reflections still look the same to me_

_As before I went under_

_-_Florence + The Machine, Never Let Me Go

* * *

"She's keeping them in a Motel 6?" Damon asked, not looking very impressed. Bonnie rolled her eyes and Alaric snorted.

"Well, it's not like they're on a vacation." Rebekah pointed out from an armchair.

"Okay, so what's the plan here?" Alaric asked, looking around. Klaus stepped forward into the center of the half circle in the room.

"Easy. We Originals go to Denver, rescue your friends, come back in a blaze of glory, and you lot are forgotten, forever hidden in out monumental shadow." he said, smiling pleasantly. Damon scoffed and Alex picked up a couch pillow, then threw it at the Original hybrid.

"It sounded good to me." Kol said, shrugging. Alex looked over at him, narrowing her eyes slightly.

"Sometimes, you should be smacked with a hammer." He frowned at her.

"Hurt my face, and I'll hurt you." he warned.

"She never said she'd hit you in the face." Bonnie said, and Alex grinned as Kol's face became expressionless.

"Anyway, does anyone have any real ideas?" Damon asked, raising an eyebrow. Elijah cleared his throat.

"No one? Okay." Kol said, dropping into a chair gracefully. Elijah gave Kol what could only be the Elijah version of a dirty look. Kol smiled charmingly and grabbed Alex's hand, pulling her closer. She shook her head and turned to Elijah.

"'Lijah? What's the big idea?" she asked, sitting on the arm of Kol's chair. Kol kept himself busy by playing with her hand, occasionally bringing it up to his lips to kiss it, or just messed with her fingers.

"We play the game." Elijah said simply. Damon frowned.

"And how do we do that? Put Stefan in a cheap motel in Denver?" he asked, crossing his arms. Rebekah rolled her eyes.

"Please. We have enough money to buy out the Queen of England. We could at least put him in a mildly decent place." she said, looking at Damon with disdain.

"Enough about motels!" Alex snapped, causing Kol, who was slowly trying to pull her into his lap, to jump.

"_Now_ I see why you like her, Kol." Rebekah said, looking at her brother. Alex ignored that and focused on Elijah again.

"What do you have in mind?"

**XXXX**

Later, Alex sat alone in the foyer, thinking. Alaric had driven Bonnie home, Damon had left to...Be Damon, Rebekah and Klaus had disappeared, Elijah was doing Elijah stuff, and Kol was probably staring into a mirror.

She heard something move in the ballroom and got up.

Stefan was still chained up. Her eyes widened at his appearance. Blood running down in red streams smeared his wrists and stained his clothes, a bright red, still-healing cut on his throat stood out particularly, and he looked positively drained. The ashy color of his skin hinted a possible vervain dose or two. She jumped when his eyes snapped open. He stared at her, his eyes cloudy, yet completely focused on her. She finally spoke.

"Why, Stefan? Why would you do this?" she asked sadly, keeping a safe distance from him.

"You tell me. You seem to have all the answers." he said, still watching her.

"Clearly not." she replied, feeling uneasy. "But it's over now." She crossed her arms and kept her eyes on him.

Stefan chuckled. It was a scary sound. Alex found herself focused on the blood bubbling up at the corners of his mouth.

"What's so funny?" she demanded, recrossing her arms. He shook his head, still laughing.

"You think it matters if Esther is dead? You think I'm the only one? She can die tomorrow, I can die today, but there are others out there, and none of them will stop until the Originals are dead." he said, his green eyes focused on hers. Alex raised an eyebrow and snorted.

"So, basically, the grand scheme here is to kill all of the Originals, not only killing yourself, but your brother and friends?"

"There are things none of you know." Stefan said, his head flopping from side to side, blood dribbling off his chin. "Things you can't even imagine."

"How much hair gel you use to get that gay frat boy look? You're right; I can't imagine." someone said from behind Alex. She turned to see Kol leaning against the wall with a bat in his hand. She stepped backward in surprise at his appearance—he was covered in blood and his clothes were torn. What had happened?—and he smiled at her quickly before coming to stand beside her.

"I think that's quite enough from you, young Salvatore." Kol said, giving him a look that, Alex swore, would have turned Stefan into roadkill, if that were possible. Stefan only responded by spitting a mouthful of blood in his face. Kol growled and wiped the blood off of his face slowly, clearly contemplating what would happen if he killed Stefan then and there. Alex started to pull Kol away from him, worried about what her hotheaded boy would do. He hissed, but let her tug him back to his room.

"Bloody imbecile..." he muttered under his breath as she closed the door.

"What happened to you?" she asked, looking him over. He shrugged.

"Might've 'persuaded' someone to give me some information." he said, watching her with those impossibly dark, incredibly attractive eyes. She ignored her stuttering heart and focused on the comforter.

"And that means ripping their head off?" she wondered, looking back at him. He didn't reply for a while, just watched her. She slowly stepped closer to him and started unbuttoning his shirt. His eyebrows raised, but he let her remove his shirt. Her hands slowly ran down his chest, then she turned away just as her fingertips brushed his jeans. Alex felt his eyes on her as she went through his closet, then took out a clean black T-shirt. She tossed it to him without looking, then turned to his dresser to get him clean jeans.

"Lex." he murmured, making her turn around. In his hand was something immediately familiar, something she had been missing for a few days. A black lace bra. She stared at him for a few moments.

"Um...Can I say that's not mine?" she asked. He tilted his head to the side and...Smelled it.

"Nope. Smells just like you." he said, throwing it to her. She smacked it out of the air and tilted her head to the side.

"It...Smells...Just like me?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. Kol nodded.

"Yes, exactly."

"O-kay...Um, why don't you go shower while I try to not be creeped out?" she suggested. Kol shrugged.

"All right. Care to join me?"

Her only reply was to throw a pillow at him.

* * *

**Can we just all appreciate that in the middle of the arguing, Kol's just trying to get Alex in his lap? :D**

**Okay, so, I know I said Stefan's motives would be explained, but it's gonna have to wait a few more chapters. SSorry!**


	19. Protection

_Should I give up, or should I just keep chasing pavements?_

_Even if it leads no where?_

_-_Adele, Chasing Pavements

* * *

A few days later, Alex was sitting in the library for no particular reason. Maybe it was because lately she had been going from home to the Mikaelson estate, from there to the boarding house, then the Gilbert residence, over to Bonnie's house, and then she'd drop by the police station to update Sheriff Forbes. It was a change of atmosphere; quiet, and no one would bother her.

She was switching from imagining the worst possible outcome, to trying her hardest to make sure it was smooth sailing. Today she had brought her laptop, and was searching for every Motel 6 in Denver, then. After making a list, she emailed it to Bonnie, who said she and Damon would start calling.

To no one's surprise, Elijah was the only Original putting actual effort into the search. Klaus seemed to be planning something, but he wouldn't say what it was. Rebekah would occasionally ask for a progress report, and was apparently getting the transportation, and as far as Alex knew, Kol was contributing nothing. When she had asked him why, he'd only given her a smile and told her not to worry.

Which, of course, made her worry. A lot.

Elijah was being helpful, however. Sometimes he and Alex would sit down and try to devise a firm plan. His idea a few days ago was smart and well thought out, but they needed to tie all of their loose ends. Earlier, he had presented her with a list of names. They were the names of people he was certain could be helping Esther, and though she wasn't exactly sure what to do with it just yet, it still was nice that he was helping.

Alex yawned and rested her chin in her palm. She was getting maybe four hours of sleep a day, and it was definitely doing some damage. Her right hand hovered over the keyboard as she tried to remember what she was going to type. Of course, she couldn't. Her mind was too busy trying to stay awake. It wasn't until someone sat next to her that she was able to focus on something other than sleep.

To her surprise, Rebekah was sitting next to her, a look of thinly veiled disgust clear on her face.

"Rebekah?" Alex muttered, sitting up. "What are you doing here?" Rebekah looked at her for a few moments before replying.

"We've found them, and our flight leaves tomorrow at six. Don't be late." she said curtly. She was gone as quickly as she had appeared, leaving Alex sitting there, confused. With a frown, she dialed Elijah's number.

"Hello, Alexandria." he greeted, picking up on the second ring. She rolled her eyes.

"Hey, 'Lijah. So, Rebekah just came out of nowhere and said you found them?"

"Ah, yes. We have. Well, to be more specific, Kol did." Alex's eyebrows raised.

"Wait—_Kol_ found them?"

"Yes. I'm just as surprised as you are. I'm not positive how he managed it, but he did."

"Well, damn." she muttered, half to herself. "Guess I better go pack. See ya!" She hung up without giving him a chance to reply, collected her laptop, and left, going home.

Kol was waiting for her, lounging on the steps—how the hell does someone _lounge _on steps, and why did they have to look so sexy doing it? She got out of her car and he slowly stood up, watching her lazily.

"Hello, my darling." he murmured as soon as she was close to him. She rolled her eyes and tried to walk around him, but one of his arms snaked around her waist and pulled her against his body.

"You know, Lex, I love it when you play hard to get." he told her, his lips brushing her jaw.

Alex snorted and tried to pull away. "Why is it you always find time to flirt?" she asked, not expecting an answer. She felt him shrug.

"If you weren't so beautiful, I might have time for other things." he told her, trying to pull her closer—which wasn't really possible, but you have to give him credit for trying.

"Well, I need time to pack." He stiffened.

"You're not going."

"Yes I am."

"No, actually, you're not." he said, spinning her around. Now she was crushed against his chest as he looked down at her. He seemed a little angry.

"Kol, I'm going." she said seriously. He shook his head.

"Like hell you are. If you think for even a second that you're leaving Mystic Falls, you're terribly mistaken."

"You can't tell me what to do, Kol."

"I beg to differ."

"If you compel me, I swear to God I will kill you." Kol snorted.

"It's not up for discussion, Alex!" he snapped, letting her free from his arms. She took a few steps back and crossed her arms, glaring at him. "Look, if you wanted to be a suicidal twit, I'm sorry I ruined your plans." he said, his tone sour. "If you get even in a ten-mile radius of Esther, she'll kill you. Simple as that." Alex shook her head, still glaring at him.

"My _brother _is there, my best friend is there! You can't possibly expect me to sit on my ass in Mystic Falls while everyone else goes off and saves them! I am _not _your little bitch, and I _will not, _under _any _circumstances, stay here just because you say so! I am going whether you like it or not, mister!"

His jaw clenched and he stared at her, fuming. She shrugged and turned to the door.

"Sorry, Kol, but I'm going. Deal with it." she said as she unlocked the door and stepped inside. "And there's not a damn thing you can do about it." With that, she slammed the door in his face.

* * *

**Awwww, Kol's all protective. So, anyway, this chapter is a little scattered, I know. But hey, aren't you glad I updated?**

**3 Things:**

**1. There are only a few more chapters left until the end! Don't worry, the sequel's coming soon!**

**2. I need help creating a character. All I'm saying is she might be for Mr. Damon Salvatore. *wink wink* And she's a vampire. That's it. The rest, my dear readers, is up to you. **

**Here's what you do. In a PM(please don't do it in a review) fill out this form:**

**Name:**

**Age: (Physical/Actual)**

**Appearance: *just listing a celebrity is fine***

**Personality:**

**And I might ask you to help me with the bio. The best OC, and their creator, will be named in the next chapter.**

**3. Maybe you can check out my new, totally awesome Kol/OC story Absolutely Zero. If you like Love Bites(which I'm assuming you do), you'll like this. But be warned: This is not the Kol from Love Bites. In this, he's a dick. Just saying. Not nice, or sweet, or protective. AT ALL. (Well, not for a while, anyway.)**

**So, the next chapter may take some time, but it'll be awesome! Promise! **

**Until the next chapter!**


	20. Sketchy

_Let's talk this over,_

_It's not like we're dead_

_Was it something I did? _

_Was it something you said?_

-Avril Lavigne, My Happy Ending

* * *

Alex was upset after her fight with Kol. She understood where he was coming from, but she needed to go. Her brother, her best friend, two of the four people in her life she couldn't live without. Elena was her friend as well, but not like Caroline. Caroline might be a bit neurotic, but she was still amazing, and one of the best friends anyone could ask for.

With a heavy sigh, she turned to her dresser and started stuffing clothes into her bag. She wasn't sure how long they'd be there, so she packed a week's worth of clothes, plus other necessities. After that was over, she fell back onto her bed, breathing in deeply. She loved the smell of the laundry detergent Carol used. It was so clean and fresh.

After an hour of pacing, she went down to the kitchen to get a pudding cup. She passed by Tyler's room, and her father's old study, then continued to the kitchen. She threw open the fridge and pulled out a pudding cup, looking at the expiration date. Still good. She took out a spoon, opened the cup and leaned against the counter.

She went through her phone, looking at old texts and deleting her nearly full inbox, keeping the ones from Esther. She opened one from Caroline that had been sent a week before her birthday. She looked at the date and blinked.

With a start, she realized that it had taken her exactly twenty three days to fall in love with Kol Mikaelson.

She put down her pudding cup and went back up to her room, unable to eat.

**XXXX**

The next morning, Alex woke up at five thirty and dressed quickly, throwing on a black cardigan over her shirt, a pair of black jeans, and her knee-high lace up boots. She pulled her hair back and braided it, then grabbed her bag and checked her phone. There was a new text from an unknown number.

_You're getting close. A few more moves. How's your knight looking?_

She frowned and dialed Damon's number.

"What?" he snapped, answering on the first ring.

"Jesus. PMS much?"

"What do you want, Alex? It's early, and I'm not exactly a morning person."

"I got another text." she told him, walking out of her room. Her boots made soft sounds on the stairs as she went downstairs to the living room.

"What? What did it say?" he asked, instantly alert.

"I was asked about the knight. I don't know who that is."

"Kol isn't your knight in shining armor? Big surprise." Damon said, snorting. Alex rolled her eyes and scribbled a note to Carol. Her mother didn't know she was doing this. If she did, no way would she allow Alexandria to go. It was a sneaking type of thing.

"Shut up, Salvatore." she grumbled, putting the blue sharpie down and quietly leaving the house.

"Whatever. I don't know who the knight is, if it's not Kol."

"Maybe Stefan." she suggested, getting into her car and failing to notice the person leaning against it.

"Why Stefan?"

"Haven't you ever watched Merlin? Some of those knights are sketchy as fuck."

She could almost hear him rolling his eyes.

"Sure, sure. Anyway, I'm staying here with Stefan. He's not in good shape. So it's just you, Bonnie, Ric, and the Originals. Jeremy's staying too."

"Kay. I'll call you when I know what's going on." She hung up just as someone opened the passenger door and got it.

"AH!" she yelled, smacking the arm repeatedly with her bag.

"Ouch! Stop it! Domestic violence isn't something I'm into!" the person said, grumbling as she removed her hand from his arm. "Handcuffs, whips, and chains, maybe, but not a bag!"

"Kol? Jesus! Why are you here?" she demanded, glaring at him. He shrugged and shut the door, looking over at her.

"Every second you're alone is another opportunity for Esther to snatch you up. I'm only looking after you, darling." he told her, watching her. Alex snorted and started the car, pulling out of the driveway.

"So you're not mad now?"

"Oh, no, I'm furious, but if you really insist on going, I'm going to be with you every second."

"I never pegged you as clingy."

"Very funny."

They were quiet as she drove, her fingers tapping the wheel and his occasional shifting the only real sound over the quiet hum of the engine.

"So...Elijah said you found them. How, exactly?" she asked after a few minutes, stopping at a sign and looking over at him. He thought about it, clearly considering if he should tell her.

"A friend told me. He lives in Denver at the moment, and looked into it." he answered finally. She nodded.

"You have a friend. That's a guy. Should I be concerned?"

"Why would you be concerned?"

"Well, you seem to only make friends with the use of one thing..." she trailed off and he got what she meant. He laughed and shook his head.

"No. Adam's as straight as a pole. As am I, Lex. Do I need to prove my masculinity to you?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

"No. I'm scared of how you might do that. No. I'm okay." He nodded and sat back, grinning.

"So, this Adam guy, he's a friend? A real friend?" she asked, glancing over at him. He nodded again.

"My entire life. Almost every memory I have up to being daggered includes him."

"Even the sex ones?" she asked, not even thinking about what she was saying. He snorted.

"I said almost, not every. I might be willing to try certain things, but threesomes...Not really my area. I'm mind-blowing enough. Another man might make the poor girl explode."

"What about orgies?"

"Are we really going to talk about this?"

"Guess not." she said, seeing the airport.

"Good. Because if we're going to talk about sex, let's talk about _our_ sex." She flushed and shook her head.

"No more sex."

"Forever? I don't know if I can go that long, especially with those long legs of yours. If you're going to make me stop, you can't wear such curve-hugging jeans. It's just too tempting."

"Stop. Just...Just stop."

He grinned and got out when she parked, grabbing her bag and waiting for her. Alex got out and took his hand.

"I'm just surprised you're not locking me in your basement, or putting me in a pit with some sheep." she said as they approached luggage claim. He looked at her sideways, raising an eyebrow.

"Sheep?"

"Don't ask."

"All right then."

They found the others quickly, Bonnie and Alaric standing to the side, while Rebekah and Klaus argued. Elijah was looking up at the sky, the irritation clear on his usually neutral face.

"You're finally here." Rebekah said, noticing them. "What, did you stop for a quick one?"

Kol opened his mouth, looking indignant, but before he could reply, Alex hit him lightly.

"No. He's just a horny jackass." He turned to her as Klaus chuckled and Bonnie grinned to herself.

"You...You all just hate me, don't you?" Kol said, feigning hurt.

"No. We hate that you have more of a downstairs brain." Klaus answered, earning a glare. Kol spotted something in the distance that made his eyes light up and Alex followed his gaze.

There was a fruit cart a few feet away, with a basket of apples. Before she knew it, he had one and was glaring at Klaus.

"Kol. Don't." he warned. Alex watched this, a little amused and intrigued, then laughed as Kol threw the apple at Klaus's head.

"Dick." he muttered, returning to Alex's side. She raised an eyebrow and looked at him, and he shook his head.

"Don't ask."

**XXXX**

A plane ride with four Originals wasn't very fun. To be honest, it was chaotic. The flight attendant brought a cart around with apples, and Kol kept throwing them at his siblings, once hitting Rebekah in the face. Thankfully, they were the only people on the plane, so the fight that broke out wasn't too frightening.

Alex sat toward the back, near Bonnie and Elijah, and was trying to read her book and tune out Rebekah and Kol's bickering.

"Both of you shut up." she said finally, looking up. "You're vampires. You don't have your time of the month." Kol looked at her indignantly, and Rebekah hissed, falling back into her seat next to Klaus, who was rolling his eyes. Kol found his way back to Alex, sitting next to her and grabbing her hand. She didn't meet his gaze.

After the previous night's realization, she wasn't sure how to really talk to him. How did one tell someone that they loved them? _In _love with them, to be exact. He kissed her palm, not really bothered by her previous comment, or by the fact that she wouldn't look at him. Alex sighed, turning her attention to her book. This was going to be a long flight.

**XXXX**

After the horrendously long flight, they were able to escape. Being alone with Kol in a small space was one thing, but being in a small space with all four Originals, a semi-retired vampire hunter, and a witch who was only fond of two people in the entire place—one more so than the other—was an absolute pain. When the plane landed, Alex was practically kissing the ground when she got out. She raised an eyebrow and stopped in her tracks when she spotted a young man waiting for them with a sign that said '_The Mikaleson Sluts'. _She wasn't sure how to react to that, and looked at Elijah, who sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Shrugging the strap of her bag on her shoulder, she looked back to the man. From a distance, he looked a hell of a lot like Adam Levine. She wasn't even sure he wasn't his freaking doppelganger. If that was the case, he was getting attacked. If Kol got jealous, he could join in. The man smirked and waved at her, winking.

"Sluts? Really, Adam? Have some class." Rebekah said, sneering.

"Class is for boring people, Bekah." Adam said easily, his smirk turning into a grin. She scoffed and Kol chuckled.

"It's been a while, Adam."

* * *

**Oy my gosh guys! I'm so sorry this took so long! My computer was broken, and I couldn't get on! But I got a new one! So updates should be much faster!**

**By the way...Anyone get the sheep thing? :D And you might be wondering about Adam...He's one of the best OC's I've ever made! (Right, Mills?)  
**


	21. Pride and Prejudice

_Something so sentimental,_

_You make so detrimental_

—Carly Rae Jepsen, This Kiss

* * *

Alex eyed the two young men as they chatted in the corner of the room, the leaner of the two talking animatedly. Adam was slight, but there was obvious muscle on him. He was small, a few inches shorter than Kol, but his personality made up for them. He was loud, and had already annoyed the hell out of Rebekah and Klaus, and he had been there all of thirty minutes. When he saw her, his eyes lit up and roamed her body, much to Kol's displeasure.

"Hi. Hi. I'm Adam, and you are gorgeous." he had said, grinning cheekily at Kol. "Hey, if you ever get tired of Kolly over here, let me know. I will totally be there for you, sweets."

Then Kol had dragged him away to get a car, muttering what Alex could only imagine to be threats. She heard something about 'deballing', and after that tuned out. Now, they were all crowded in a nice hotel room, discussing this and that. Alex sat alone while Bonnie and Elijah talked to Adam's pretty witch friend, a striking brunette with curves that made Alex a little put out with her own barely developed figure. Sure, she had a few sizable assets, and she wasn't ashamed of her body, but next to a woman who could be a _Vogue _model, she felt childish and small. Alaric was talking to Damon on the phone, and Klaus and Rebekah were missing, presumably going to meet one of Klaus's many contacts.

She looked up, green eyes sweeping the room. Kol caught her eye over Adam's shoulder and smiled, motioning with his head to come closer. She obliged, closing her book and going to the two men. Adam grinned at her.

"You know, Kolly Bear, I really miss our midnight chats." he said as she neared, looking at Kol earnestly. She shot her boyfriend a glance, raising a brow.

"That pole ain't looking too straight, Kol." she said, making him roll his eyes. She processed what Adam had said and a grin slowly spread across her face. "Kolly Bear? Are you serious?" she asked, laughing.

"Oh, you didn't figure it out?" Adam asked her, also grinning. Kol glared at them, not looking amused. "Kol's just a big teddy bear on the inside." Kol reached over Alex's head and smacked Adam's.

"You shut up, or you'll be eating your own genitals." he threatened. Alex snorted.

"No one says genitals anymore, Kol."

"She's right, you know. No one does. I'm sure that even Mr. Rogers at least used penis instead of genitals." Adam said, a shit-eating smile on his face. Kol growled.

"We had a neighbor named Mr. Rogers when I was eight. He was a pedophile." Adam stared at her.

"You seriously had a neighbor named Mr. Rogers? Jesus. I have to go to Mystic Falls. You leave for a thousand years and suddenly things change." he muttered, making the other two roll their eyes.

"Can we get back to the topic at hand?" Kol asked, wrapping an arm around Alexandria's waist and pulling her close to him.

"Sure. Esther has them lightly guarded, which is weird. A few young witches, and a vampire in the room with them. They're heavily vervained, and the doppelganger is probably getting a good dose of chloroform every now and again."Adam said, suddenly turning professional. Alex got the vague feeling that he should be on an episode of CSI or Criminal Minds, but brushed it off.

"I'm just worried that there's a hunter or two involved." Kol said, frowning. Adam nodded and eyed him.

"No one I know. I think most of them ran once they found out Mr. Hybrid Douche was involved."

"What about...?" Kol trailed off, and Alex could spot a flash of fear in Adam's eyes, but it was gone so fast she was sure she had imagined it.

"Carter's dead. No need to worry about him." Adam assured him, and Kol relaxed, though his grip on her was tight. Kol nodded and kissed the top of her head,

"Room number?"

"36B. Should be easy enough to find, and easy enough to break into. You have a Bennett with you, and Scarlett is pretty well-trained."

Alex looked at him, a little offended. "Uhm, hello, witch right over here, in front of you, dumbass." she said, her indignation showing in her tone.

"Absolutely not." Kol said, his arm tightening around her. "You're lucky you're even out of your house right now, Alex, and you aren't going to push that luck by trying something as idiotic as going up against Esther's witches." Alex glared at him.

"I wasn't asking your permission."

"I can always compel you to stay put. You aren't being involved."

"I agree with Kol on this." Alaric said, hanging up and walking toward them. He nodded stiffly at Kol, who simply stared at him with faint surprise. They hadn't gotten off very well...What with Kol flirting with Meredith, beating Damon with a bat, and basically saying Ric wasn't good enough for Meredith. Yet here he was, agreeing with the snarky Original. "Alex, you can't be at risk like that. Your powers aren't fully developed, and I'm sure Esther has powerful people working with her."

"Not to mention the fact that Esther herself could be there." the witch, Scarlett, added from the other side of the room. Alex bit back the sarcastic reply dying to be said and instead looked at Adam, who, so far, seemed to be reasonable.

"Hey, you're Kol's girl. If I go against him like that, I probably won't have my liver in the morning." he said, putting his hands up. "Or my head."

"You'd lose both heads, mate." Kol said, smirking, and Alex stared at him.

"Okay, I'm getting out of the middle of this." she said, wriggling out of Kol's grasp and going back to the bed.

"That's a wise move. Once they start, they won't stop for hours." Elijah told her, looking over at her when she sat down.

"Wonderful. So, what do I do? Just sit here while you all go off and save the day? I'm not a little kid, you know."

Rebekah and Klaus entered the hotel room at that time. Rebekah rolled her eyes.

"Oh, please. You couldn't defend yourself if your life depended on it. And, by the way, it does." the blonde said, looking up at the ceiling.

Frowning, Alex grabbed the crossbow Alaric had set on the table and shot it at Rebekah. It would have gotten her in the heart if Klaus hadn't grabbed it.

The hybrid looked down at the arrow, then at his sister, and finally Alex. They were all silent, waiting for the inevitable explosion.

"Good shot. Your arm needs to be a bit more steady." he said after what seemed to be an eternity.

"Ooh, yay, you can work a crossbow. You're still staying here." Kol said, crossing his arms. Bonnie frowned.

"If Alex wants to go, she should go. Give her a crossbow, pair her with someone, and she's fine. She can take care of herself. We all can, otherwise we wouldn't be here." she said, looking at them. Alex nodded.

"I agree with Bonnie. But I have a question."

"What's that?" Elijah asked. Rebekah hissed something under her breath and stalked to an arm chair, seething about almost being shot.

"How did you get a crossbow through airport security?"

Alaric shook his head. "You really don't want to know."

Alex frowned, then looked at Elijah, who only shrugged. Going to Kol, he just glared at her.

"Well okay then." she said, flopping back on the bed. She had a feeling that Kol was going to try to talk her out of going. Or he was going to compel her. So, when no one was looking, she went through Bonnie's bag and pulled out some vervain, putting a little on her tongue. She almost coughed when the little flakes slowly made their way down her throat, but covered it up with a gulp from a bottle of water from the ground.

She didn't see Scarlett's eyes on her.

**XXXX**

A few hours later, Alex was alone, surprisingly. She had managed to slip away from the hotel and go to a park. With a heavy sigh, she sat down on an empty bench, hands in the pockets of the jacket she had taken from Kol's bag. It was big on her, the sleeves almost reaching her knuckles, but it smelled like him, and she needed that comfort.

She watched the children as they laughed and played, not a care in the world. She couldn't remember what it was like to have that kind of innocence. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't.

Someone sat beside her and took her hand, making her smile as a familiar warmth filled her.

"I was wondering where that went to." Kol said, nudging her.

"Sorry about that. But it's your fault for not having any hats or hoodies I could take. This was my only option." she told him, looking over at him. His hair was messed up in an adorable way, and she almost giggled when she saw his collar was popped. He raised a brow.

"Is it normal for women to wear men's clothing?" he asked, looking a bit puzzled. She laughed.

"Well, sort of. I mean, a girl might take her brother's hat to annoy him, or a friend might borrow another friend's jacket, or a girlfriend might take her boyfriend's clothes. Hoodies, hats, and maybe even a shirt or two." she explained. He still didn't seem to understand.

"But if they have clothes of their own, why take someone else's?"

"The smell, maybe. This," she said, tugging at the jacket with her free hand, "Smells like you. It's comforting. Or maybe just because they like having something that belongs to someone they love." She bit her lip, catching her words.

Kol watched her, smiling a little. He had noticed the uptake of her heart when she said love, but didn't think anything of it. Using his thumb, he freed her pink lip from the punishment of her teeth.

"If you want your lip bitten, darling, just ask." he said, smirking. She rolled her eyes and looked out at the children playing again.

"Do you ever wonder what it would be like if your mother had never turned you?" she asked suddenly, looking over at him. Kol thought about it.

"No. I don't think about it. Because then I'd be dead."

"But then your mother wouldn't be out to kill you."

"So? I'm a selfish person, Lex. My mother may regret what she did, but I don't. Is it hard to believe that someone like me doesn't regret anything?" he asked, tilting her head to the side. "We're not all like Elijah." he reminded her. She seemed to think about it.

"There's nothing you regret?" She seemed to be flabbergasted by the possibility. He shook his head, then nodded after a few seconds.

"There is one thing." he amended, looking at her. She raised an eyebrow.

"What's that?"

"I regret meeting you." She withdrew from him like he had smacked her, taking a sharp breath.

"O-oh." He shook his head.

"No, Lex. Look at me." She shook her head, freeing her hand from his. It went directly to her lap.

"Lex...If you knew what you do to me...You'd understand." She looked away, and he realized she was crying.

Frowning, he turned her face toward him again. "You, Alexandria James, are my greatest downfall." he told her seriously, staring into her watering eyes. She blinked, not understanding. "I don't think I could make it without you in my life."

Part of him was begging to be killed now. Kol Mikaelson didn't do feelings. Especially not these ones. But she had to hear it, before it was too late.

"W-what exactly are you saying?" she asked, frowning in confusion.

"I'm saying that..." He swallowed, mouth dry. She watched him with those green eyes that seemed to look deep into his soul. "I'm saying that you...Are everything to me. And I hate that." Her frown deepened and her brows furrowed.

"If you're trying to recreate _Pride and Prejudice_, you're doing a really good job." she told him, looking a little offended.

He shrugged. "Yes, let's go with that." The offense in her eyes didn't go away.

"You realize that the first time Darcy told Elizabeth he was in love with her, he also said it was against his will, and his very character, right?" He raised a brow, watching her.

"And _you _realize what you just said, right?"

Alex backtracked, and realization graced her face. "_Oh..."_

He nodded, looking away from her.

"I believe 'oh' is correct." He wasn't good about talking about his feelings, and if she made him start now...

"Well...All right then." she said finally.

He frowned, looking at her again. "That's it?"

"Well, you avoid feelings like they're a freaking plague, so I figured you didn't want to talk about it. But hey, at least now I know why you're being such a controlling ass."

He sighed, looking up at the sky.

"That's all you have for me?" he asked. Alex shrugged.

"Is there anything else?"

Yes, actually. There was the part where if anything happened to her, he wouldn't know what to do with himself, and also the fact that he would probably be better off not knowing her than having a constant ache in his chest whenever she was upset, or gone, or when he didn't know where she was, or every single second because he was worried about her.

"No, nothing else."

"Well, for the record, I feel the same about you. I'm gonna go get a snow cone." And with that, she got up and walked away, leaving him staring after her.

* * *

**So, I really wasn't sure about that last part...I almost took it out...But I hope it's okay! Review and tell me? Next time I update, I should have the last few chapters written, and _maybe _the first chapter of the sequel.**


	22. Love

_Your name has echoed through my mind,_

_And I just think you should, think you should know..._

_That nothing safe is worth the drive,_

_And I will follow you, follow you home_

—Taylor Swift, Treacherous

* * *

After Alex got her snow cone, they went back to the hotel. Adam and Scarlett were nowhere to be seen, Bonnie had fallen asleep in a chair, and Alaric was missing, which left the three Originals.

Klaus, Rebekah, and Elijah were talking quietly, but stopped abruptly when Kol and Alex entered the room. Kol, who had most likely heard everything they said, frowned and narrowed his eyes a fraction, confused. Alex looked at him and he shook his head the tiniest bit. Her face crumpled into a frown and she looked at the three vampires, who were looking over at them.

Well, Klaus and Elijah were. Rebekah was looking at her nails in a perfect picture definition of a Queen Bee. Alex cleared her throat.

"What's up, you three?" she asked, tipping her head to the side. Elijah shook his head, not making eye contact.

"Nothing you need to be concerned about, Alex." he answered ever so politely.

"You know, usually, when people stop talking when someone enters the room, it usually means they were being talked about. So, spill."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "That attitude may work with our darling brother, but it's not going to work with us." she said, looking at her like she was a particularly nasty bug.

"First, you can save your bitch face for someone who cares." Alex said, smiling sweetly. "Second, I—"

"That's quite enough, Lex." Kol said, looking uncomfortable. Alex rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

Klaus looked very amused by this. "By all means, Kol, let the girl talk." he said, an evil smirk on his face.

Kol scowled at his brother, then glanced over at Alex. "They were talking about Esther." he said simply, falling gracefully onto one of the two beds.

_If I did that, I'd look like a lazy lump. _Alex thought enviously. Kol arched a brow, as if he could hear her thoughts, and smirked. She rolled her eyes.

"What about Mommy dearest?" she asked, raising a brow and sitting on the bed Kol was laying on. He moved so his head was in her lap and she rolled her eyes again, putting her hands on his eyes. He made a sound, but didn't go to move her hands. Elijah sighed.

"We believe she may be letting us get this close."

"False sense of security?" Alex offered. Klaus shrugged, and she couldn't help but be disturbed at the fact she was having a casual conversation with him in the room. Okay, maybe not casual, but pretty close.

"Perhaps. She may be luring us into a trap, which is why I suggest we send you witches in first." he said, giving her what could only be described as a shit-eating grin. Kol sat up immediately, glaring at him.

"Absolutely not. Do what you want with that one," he said, gesturing to the sleeping Bonnie, "But if you think for even a second that I'm going to allow you to use Alex as bait—" Alex interrupted him.

"Shut up, Kol." she snapped, giving him a look. "I can decide for myself. Continue on, Klaus." she said, nodding to the hybrid and feeling bizarre.

Kol shook his head. "No. Nope. Not going to happen. I will tear you all to pieces before you use her as bait." he said, standing up. Rebekah's eyes widened a tad, as did Klaus', but Elijah remained calm.

"Kol, use your head, not your heart. Esther is unlikely to harm anyone, aside from us." he said, looking into his brother's eyes. Kol shook his head.

"I don't care. It's not happening." he told them all firmly. "Nik, I know you said this kind of thing hurts, but let's not do it on purpose just to spite me, yeah?" Klaus looked down and Alex raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, I am done for the day. You all can argue, but I have a headache, so I'm gonna go. I know what I'll do, but whatever. You all continue your fighting." she said, smiling sarcastically and grabbing her bag, headed out of the room. Bonnie was soon with her, looking extremely tired. The Originals had been nice enough—well, actually, Elijah had been nice enough—to get everyone their own room. A little expensive, but he had insisted it was the best, so no one got too aggravated. Alex was glad. After seeing Bonnie to her small room, Alexandria made her way to hers, pulling out the room card Elijah had given her and unlocking the door.

The bed was large, as if for two, and it actually didn't smell like mothballs or cleaner. With a heavy sigh, she took off her sweater and went through her bag, pulling out a tank top and sweat pants. After she changed she fell down onto the bed, smelling the blankets. Clean. Fresh. She snuggled into the bed, laying on top of the blanket. Just as she was about to fall asleep, the door opened and closed. Frowning, she stayed where she was, unsure of who could be walking into her room.

Kol, naturally. He fell onto the bed beside her, taking her hand immediately and pressing his lips to her palm.

"What do you want? I don't want to argue." she muttered, cracking open an eye to look at him. He looked tired, yet oddly energetic. How he managed that, she did not know. He smiled weakly, kissing her hand again. His lips ghosted on her skin, giving her goosebumps.

"I don't want to argue. I just came here because it's my room too." She blinked, opening both eyes.

"Elijah got us a room to share?" she asked skeptically, raising a brow. He nodded, kissing her wrist, then the soft underside of it, pressing his lips to the veins.

"Yeah. I think he thought it would help us." he murmured, continuing to kiss her arm, making his way up to her elbow. Alex shook her head, watching him.

"Or he knew that you'd use any excuse you could to share a bed with me and just wanted to save time." she said flatly and he smirked, still kissing up her arm. A few moments later he was kissing her shoulder and she closed her eyes.

"Mm, if you think that this is somehow gonna convince me to stay behind tomorrow, you are so wrong." she said in a soft voice, feeling him kiss her neck firmly. He shook his head and she could feel his lips curve upward into a smile.

"No...I just want you. As always." he told her, biting down gently and leaning over her to kiss her throat. Her insides writhed where ever his lips touched and she squirmed a little, knowing how this would end.

"Kol...No sex tonight." she mumbled weakly, overwhelmed by his body pressed against hers. He looked up at her, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.

"Are you sure?" he asked gently, tilting his head to the side. She nodded, looking up at the ceiling. He shook his head, hands sliding under her tank top.

"Kol.." she protested, though it was halfhearted. He looked at her again, eyes full of desire.

"Lex...There's a good chance some of us may not go home tomorrow." he reminded her, raising a brow. "Just let me make love to you before that happens."

_How. The hell. Do I say no to that? _Alex wondered, unable to come up with a way to refuse him. But at that point, she didn't want to. Kol seemed to realize that from something in her face and smiled, pressing his lips to hers.

He kissed down her neck slowly, hands creeping up her tight shirt and eventually pulling it off. He continued his soft kisses, going down her body. Meanwhile, she tugged his shirt off, tossing it on the floor.

**XXXX**

Alex woke up slowly, opening her bright green eyes and letting them move across the room. It took a few moments for her to gather her surroundings and figure out where she was. Then she remembered. _Denver. Hotel room. Kol._

She looked to the other side of the bed and saw him watching her, a small smile playing at the edge of his lips.

"Good morning, darling. Sleep well?" he asked, raising a brow. She nodded, the previous night coming back to her clearly.

Gentle touches, slow movements, light kisses everywhere. The soft sounds they both made, the general quiet of everything. His hands everywhere, getting to know her body for the second time.

She flushed a little and a smirk graced his face.

"I see you're remembering, then."

"Yeah." Her voice was scratchy; she had to clear her throat a few times. "Yeah. What time is it?" she asked, looking around the room. He looked over his shoulder at his phone.

"Five. We don't have to be with the others until eight." he replied, returning his eyes to her. She smiled a little, taking his hand in hers.

"So, we have some time to ourselves?"

"Yes. But you should probably get some more sleep. There wasn't much of that last night."

Surprisingly, she wasn't tired. Not really. She felt well-rested, and she told him so.

"Oh, well, then I suppose we could do whatever we wanted..." he murmured, kissing her hand. Rolling her eyes, she shook her head.

"None of that. You're lucky you got any last night." she told him, and he grinned.

"Well, Lex, I believe that's why they call it getting lucky." She gave him a look.

"Very funny, smart ass."

They laid in silence for a bit, just looking at each other. The minutes passed slowly, but neither of them seemed to mind.

"Today's the day." Alex said finally, voice soft. Kol nodded, looking down at their intertwined fingers.

"It is."

"I know you don't want me to go, but I just have to."

"I know. That's why you're sticking with me at all times. If you're going to go, I'm only going to let you go with the one person I can trust to look after you. Me."

She smiled a bit, looking up at the ceiling.

"Did...Did you mean what you said yesterday?" She didn't have to specify. He knew exactly what she was talking about. He didn't hesitate to answer.

"Yes. I did. I wouldn't say that if I didn't mean it."

She nodded slowly, eyes still on the ceiling. She took a few deep breaths, considering what she was about to say carefully. Once she was sure it was the right time, she turned on her side, facing him. He raised a brow, eyes narrowing in curiosity.

"Kol, I l—" She was cut off by the sharp ring of his phone. Frowning, he reached behind himself and grabbed it, checking the caller ID before answering.

"Adam?"

Alex, meanwhile, turned onto her back again, scowling. She didn't think she'd have the courage to try to tell him again. It wasn't the kind of thing she could say any time. Not with him.

A few minutes later, he hung up, still frowning.

"I have to go. Adam found something." he said, already out of the bed and getting dressed. She nodded, watching him and trying not to show just how put out she was.

"What were you about to tell me?" he asked, tilting his head to the side and buttoning his jeans. She shook her head.

"Nothing. Doesn't matter." He looked as if he didn't believe her, but nodded and leaned down to kiss her, then looked for his shirt.

"I'll be back by seven. Promise."

When he was out the door, she glared at the ceiling, wishing she could have him there. She needed to tell him. She just had the feeling that the day wasn't going to end the way they all hoped...

* * *

**So, some people asked me for romance and stuff, and I obliged! I'm not sure how I feel about it though. But the way I have things figured out, there isn't going to be any room for romance for a while, so might as well do it now! Hope you guys liked the chapter, and I'll try to have more by the weekend. (I wasn't expecting to be able to update tonight.) Anyway, I really hope you guys like it, and keep it up with the reviews! They make my day! I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations! :)**


	23. Insurance

_Obsessed, depressed at the same time,_

_And I can't even walk in a straight line._

_I've been lying in the dark no sunshine._

—Maroon 5, Just a Feeling

* * *

Alex was just getting out of bed when Kol came back, looking rumpled and irritated. She didn't say anything, just went straight to the bathroom. As she turned the water on, she could hear him sigh heavily and sit down on the bed.

"Everything okay?" she called, pulling her hair up and looking in the mirror.

"Esther knows we're here. Not that that's really surprising at this point." he replied, and the sound of the mattress creaking told her he was getting up.

"Well, there goes the element of surprise." she muttered, eyeing the dark mark on her collar bone that Kol had made the previous night. He appeared in the mirror and nodded, smirking a little when he saw what she was staring at.

"Thanks for this, by the way." she grumbled, gently putting foundation on it. She didn't need any teasing, and she knew the second one of the others saw that, she wouldn't hear the end of it. He nodded again, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her middle.

"You're very welcome. Mm, that's why I like the fact you aren't a vampire. If I want to leave a mark, I don't have to worry about it fading in five minutes." he murmured, kissing the back of her neck.

"That's nice. But I have to get ready. So, shoo." He frowned and stepped back from her.

"All right then." he said quietly, going back into the room. She sighed and finished covering the dark spot on her neck, then brushed her teeth and hair.

"Ow! Ow!" she mumbled, brush caught in a large knot. "Sex hair isn't fun to deal with! Don't you laugh at me!" she yelled, hearing his low chuckle. After a few minutes of tentative pulling, her hair was tangle-free. She braided it and looked at her reflection. Despite having gone back to sleep after he left, and just feeling well-rested, she looked exhausted. Her eyes were hollow, haunted, her skin paler than normal.

Shaking her head, she changed quickly, slipping on black skinny jeans, a plain long-sleeved black shirt, and went back into the room for the boots she had brought. Kol arched a brow when he saw her.

"You look like that one girl from that movie everyone's talking about. You know, with the bow, and starvation or something."

Alex stared at him. Was he seriously talking about _Hunger Games_? Shaking her head, she grabbed her boots, lacing them up.

"Katniss? Well, cool. She's badass." she replied, grinning. He nodded.

"Sure. Let's go with that." he said, tossing her something. She automatically caught it and looked at the small object in her hand. It was a little black box. Too big to be a ring, but the right size for a necklace.

Looking from him to the box, she flipped the lid. Inside, there _was _a ring, but on a silver chain. The ring had a purple amethystwith a triple band, and small diamonds in the band. She stared at it for a few seconds before looking back up at him, eyes wide.

"Um, wha—?" He grinned, amusement clear on his face.

"It's not what you think." he told her, still grinning. She blinked, looking back at the ring, then up at him.

"I _think _this is a two hundred dollar ring. With diamonds."

"Ah, but do you think it's a diamond ring, or a ring with diamonds?" he wondered, tilting his head to the side. She shook her head.

"I don't even know." He smiled a little, getting up off of the bed and going to her.

"Will you wear it?" he asked, taking the chain out of the box and watching her. She nodded slowly.

"But...What's it for?"

"Insurance." he replied simply, slipping the necklace over her neck. The ring fell against her breastbone and she raised a brow.

"Insurance for what?" He shrugged, smirking.

"You'll see."

"But I want to know now!"

"All in due time, Lex. All in due time."

She frowned a little, looking at the ring. What kind of insurance could he be talking about? He wasn't...No. She dismissed the thought quickly. He couldn't even tell her how he felt about her without being an ass. So there was no way he would do something like that. Right?

**XXXX**

They all gathered in the hotel room they had been in the day before, everyone grim-faced. Alex had tucked the mysterious ring in her shirt and put on a leather jacket, and Kol had watched her, not saying anything.

Now, he stood beside her, arms crossed. She leaned against the closet door, looking from Elijah to Klaus, from Klaus to Rebekah, from Rebekah to Alaric, and then to Bonnie.

"So this is what's going to happen." Klaus said, breaking the silence and clapping his hands together. "Bonnie and Scarlett will go ahead of us, create a distraction." he said, gesturing to the redheaded witch and Bonnie. "Then Adam will follow, since no one really cares about his life." Adam made a noise of protest and indignation, and Alex pressed her lips together to keep from grinning. If Klaus weren't so evil, she'd probably like him.

"After that, our kind vampire hunter will take out any unnecessary bits. Since she knows we're here, we can assume that there will be vampires everywhere. Kol and Rebekah will do what they do best. Cause trouble. And Kol, I think Alex will be perfectly safe with me and Elijah, don't you?" he asked, giving him a smile. Kol looked like he wanted to argue, but he must've realized that there was a reason behind it, and that he wouldn't win.

"Suppose so. But if she's harmed under your supervision..." he trailed off, and everyone could hear the silent threat. _I'll rip your head off and toss it down the stairs._

"I know, I know. You can trust me. And Elijah. Isn't that right?"

Elijah nodded, staying silent. Bonnie looked at them all, biting her lip.

"So, what? We just bust into the hotel room? If Esther is there, she'll be able to channel my power, and who knows what'll happen then."

Klaus shrugged. "Well, then I suppose we'll have to give you some blood and snap your neck."

Bonnie's mouth dropped open and Rebekah rolled her eyes.

"Oh, please. Esther won't be there. She probably has the place swarming with witches to knock us unconscious so she can kill us while we're sleeping."

Alaric shook his head. "We don't know for sure."

"But I do." another voice interrupted. They turned to see Katherine and some blonde girl standing in the open door. For some reason, she didn't look as scared as she normally did when the Originals were near. Maybe it was because she knew she wasn't their problem at the moment. She smirked at everyone's surprise.

"Oh, come on, you can't really be that shocked I didn't want to miss out on all the fun. I was curious." she said, and the girl behind her rolled her eyes. Elijah sighed.

"What do you want, Katerina?" he asked, sounding vaguely irritated. She laughed a little, leaning against the wall.

"Well, I just thought you would want to know where Mommy is." she told him. Klaus frowned.

"And why would you know that?" he asked, deadly calm. Alex shifted, and she and Bonnie exchanged looks.

"Em here is amazing at fooling people. I taught her well." The girl, Em, looked a little uncomfortable under Klaus' death glare.

"That's all very nice, but it would be best if you would just tell me before I tear you limb from limb." Neither girl looked very bothered by it, but on careful examination, Alex could see Katherine swallow.

"She's not even in Colorado." Em said, flipping her hair. "She's in Michigan, of all places. God knows why she's there. See, she thinks that what's going to happen is you all are going to be killed—staked, you know, few hours, and then she'll meet everyone halfway, do her witchy mumbo jumbo and kill you all." Alaric frowned a little, taking a step forward.

"And why are you telling us this? I thought you hated the Originals." he said, directing his question to Katherine. She shrugged, making eye-contact with Alex.

"Ask Alex." she said, her lips curving upward into a taunting smirk. "She said I'd be paid if I helped, and I kinda like the reward she's offering." All eyes were on Alex and she shrank back.

"Well? Come now, love, don't suddenly decide to keep your trap shut. Please, enlighten us all." Klaus said, though she got the feeling he knew exactly what she had promised Katherine.

"Well, I talked to Elijah, and..."

"For her assistance, Katerina will be pardoned." Elijah interrupted, taking pity on her. Klaus raised a brow.

"So, you promised freedom?" he asked, looking oddly amused.

"I did, Niklaus. It seemed only fair." Elijah told him, and Kol rolled his eyes.

"Fantastic. The Petrova vagina is saved, and she's giving us information." he said sarcastically, causing a few eye rolls and glares to come his way.

Katherine eyed him, expression both disgusted and interested. Her eyes flicked up and down, examining his body, and Alex couldn't help but roll her eyes. While she wanted to grab his hand, or something, she knew that was a generic jealous girlfriend move.

"Okay, Katherine, thanks for stopping by. We all really want to spend more time with you, but you're kind of a bitch, and we have other things to deal with. Feel free to leave at any time." she said brightly, smiling sweetly and giving the doppelganger a sarcastic wave before moving past Kol and heading to the bathroom.

"I like her." she heard Adam say, and she smirked. After a few moments, the door opened and closed. Alex washed her hands, then went back into the room.

"That, everyone, is why I like her." Kol said, grinning. Alex rolled her eyes, sitting on one of the twin beds. Rebekah gave her a nasty look, moving across the room.

"So, now you witches don't have to worry. Everyone ready?" Klaus asked, looking at them all. Slowly, they all nodded. "Fantastic. Let's get going." he said, and one by one they filed out of the room, all silent. Kol came up behind her, grabbing her hand. She looked back at him and gave him a small smile, but it disappeared immediately. He squeezed her hand as they walked outside.

She and Bonnie hugged quickly before the Bennett witch got into Adam's car, then Alex turned to Kol.

"Just in case this doesn't end well..." she murmured before pressing her lips to his. It wasn't a gentle kiss. It was tinged with fear, filled with passion. He responded immediately, reaching up to touch her face lightly before pulling away.

"It'll be fine. Now go. They're staring." he said, pecking her lips. She nodded, looking at him for a few seconds before turning around and looking at Klaus and Elijah. Klaus gestured to the sleek black car, and with a start, Alex realized that this was the first time she had seen him with a car.

Once they got in, Klaus smirked at her in the rearview mirror.

"So, that was—"

"Shut up and drive." she interrupted, rolling her eyes. He chuckled and nodded, while Elijah had the good sense to keep his mouth shut.

Taking out her phone, Alex started to text Kol, but stopped, unsure of what to say. So, she just typed three numbers, knowing the likelihood of him understanding was slim, if not nonexistent.

**To: Kol**

_143_

* * *

**Hehehehe. Not necessarily the way I planned this chapter, but I think it works. So, Alex more or less told Kol she loves him, and I want to say a few things. First, WHY DOES EVERYONE THINK I'MMA KILL SOMEONE OFF?! That's not part of the plan, promise! Second, the ring? Not what you're thinking. At all. Trust me, you will never guess what the insurance is. If you want to know what it looks like, go to my profile. In the section 'current fics' or whatever it says, Love Bites is a link. Click on that and you'll see the ring! So, I'll try to update again tomorrow, or possibly later tonight! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! :)**


	24. Bow Ties

**For those of you who expected a chapter, I'm sorry! This is a notice. I'm sorry I haven't updated this in a while! I've just sorta lost my muse. :-/ So, I'm putting it on hiatus until I can get inspiration. I have the next chapter partially written, but it's not working. At all. I could give you guys what I have now, but I want to give you QUALITY. Or as close to it as I can get. SO. Until then, no Kol and Alex and crap for you. BUT IF YOU'RE A DOCTOR WHO FAN. Check out my Ten/OC fic, Until the End of Time. I have plenty of muse for that, and all of the chapters are already written, so updates are faster. :D**

**On a side note...Guys...When you go to the gym, don't overdo it. I did that and I swear my arms are going to fall off.**

**ANYWAY. I'm sorry this isn't a chapter, but SAVE YOUR REVIEW! DON'T REVIEW THISSSSSS. Because then when I replace this with the actual chapter, you won't be able to review, and I KNOW you're going to want to. *mysterious wink* So if you want to curse me, PM me. :D**

**Until the chapter, remember...Bow ties are cool.**


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